Shloka 22
धर्म्यविजय-नियमाः
Rules for Dharmic Victory in Kṣatriya Engagement
अथैनमभिनिन्दन्ति भिन्न कुम्भमिवाश्मनि | तस्माद् धर्मेण विजयं कोशं लिप्सेत भूमिप:
athainam abhinindanti bhinna-kumbham ivāśmani | tasmād dharmeṇa vijayaṃ kośaṃ lipseta bhūmipaḥ ||
Then people revile such a ruler, shattered like a broken pot dashed upon a stone. Therefore, O king, one should seek victory and the treasury only through dharma—by righteous means—so that success does not end in disgrace and ruin.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should pursue victory and wealth only through dharma; success gained by unrighteous means leads to public condemnation and eventual ruin, like a pot shattered on stone.
Bhishma, instructing on rājadharma in the Shanti Parva, warns that a king who acts wrongly becomes an object of blame; he urges the king to seek conquest and revenue through righteous conduct.