Shloka 25
नैव द्वौ न त्रयः कार्या न मृष्येरन् परस्परम् । एकार्थे होव भूतानां भेदो भवति सर्वदा
naiva dvau na trayaḥ kāryā na mṛṣyeran parasparam | ekārthe hova bhūtānāṁ bhedo bhavati sarvadā ||
Bhishma said: “One should not set up two or three competing authorities, nor should they be made to tolerate one another in rivalry. Even when the aim is one and the same, divisions among beings inevitably arise.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that appointing multiple parallel leaders or centers of authority breeds rivalry; even when the stated goal is common, human (and social) tendencies produce factionalism. Therefore, for stability and dharma in governance, unity of command and clarity of authority are crucial.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and statecraft after the war. Here he emphasizes a practical principle of administration: avoid creating competing power-centers, because mutual intolerance and inevitable splits will undermine the common purpose.