Shloka 67
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
षाड्गुण्यमिति यत् प्रोक्तं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर । संधानासनमित्येव यात्रासंधानमेव च
ṣāḍguṇyam iti yat proktaṃ tan nibodha yudhiṣṭhira | sandhānāsanam ity eva yātrā-sandhānam eva ca |
Bhishma said: “Yudhishthira, understand what is called the sixfold policy (ṣāḍguṇya). It consists of making a treaty and abiding in peace, undertaking a campaign—marching against the enemy—and also the strategic combination of marching and forming an alliance.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma introduces the ṣāḍguṇya (sixfold policy) of kingship—standard strategic options for dealing with rivals—framing political action as a disciplined, knowable set of choices rather than impulsive aggression.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma continues advising King Yudhishthira after the war, turning to practical governance: how a ruler should choose among peace, war, and mixed strategies when facing enemies.