Shloka 9
विग्रहं केन वा कुर्यात् संधिं वा केन योजयेत् । कथं वा शत्रुमध्यस्थो वर्तेत बलवानपि,किसके साथ विग्रह करे? अथवा किसके साथ संधि जोड़े और बलवान् पुरुष भी यदि शत्रुओंके बीचमें मिल जाय तो उसके साथ कैसा बर्ताव करे?
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | vigrahaṃ kena vā kuryāt sandhiṃ vā kena yojayet | kathaṃ vā śatru-madhyastho varteta balavān api |
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «¿Con quién debe uno escoger entrar en enemistad, y con quién forjar un tratado? Y aun si un hombre es poderoso, si se halla colocado en medio de enemigos, ¿cómo debe conducirse allí?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic problem of rāja-nīti: conflict and alliance must be chosen with discernment, and even strength is not sufficient—one must know the proper conduct when surrounded by enemies, balancing prudence, restraint, and strategic judgment.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethics after the war, Yudhiṣṭhira asks for guidance on when to make war or peace and how a ruler (or capable person) should act if caught among hostile forces.