Shloka 11
Adharmic Victory as Unstable; Rules of Restraint, Mediation, and Conciliation (अधर्मविजय-अध्रुवत्व तथा क्षमा-नयः)
तां वृत्ति नानुवर्तेत विजिगीषुर्महीपति: । धर्मलब्धाद्धि विजयाल्लाभ: को<5भ्यधिको भवेत्
tāṁ vṛttiṁ nānuvarteta vijigīṣur mahīpatiḥ | dharmalabdhād dhi vijayāl lābhaḥ ko 'bhyadhiko bhavet ||
Bhīṣma said: A king who seeks conquest should not follow that course of conduct. For what gain could be greater than victory achieved through righteousness—victory obtained by means that are themselves lawful and just?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that a ruler seeking victory should reject improper policies and value conquest achieved through dharma, because a victory gained righteously is the highest and most meaningful form of gain.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises the king on statecraft and moral governance, emphasizing that the legitimacy of victory depends on the righteousness of the means used to obtain it.