Shloka 18
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
वहेदमित्र स्कन्धेन यावत्कालस्य पर्यय: । प्राप्तकालं तु विज्ञाय भिन्द्याद् घटमिवाश्मनि,“जबतक समय बदलकर अपने अनुकूल न हो जाय, तबतक शत्रुको कंधेपर बिठाकर ढोना पड़े तो वह भी करे; परंतु जब अनुकूल समय आ जाय, तब उसे उसी प्रकार नष्ट कर दे, जैसे घड़ेको पत्थरपर पटककर फोड़ दिया जाता है
vahed amitraṃ skandhena yāvat kālasya paryayaḥ | prāptakālaṃ tu vijñāya bhindyād ghaṭam ivāśmani ||
Dijo Bhīṣma: Mientras el giro del tiempo no se haya inclinado a tu favor, debes incluso cargar al enemigo sobre el hombro y llevarlo, si así lo exige la prudencia. Pero cuando llegue el momento propicio y lo reconozcas, quiebralo sin titubeo—como una vasija estrellada contra la piedra.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches strategic patience governed by kāla (time/circumstance): endure and even outwardly accommodate an enemy when conditions are unfavorable, but when the decisive moment arrives, act firmly and conclusively. The ethical frame is rājadharma—protecting one’s aims and realm through prudent timing rather than impulsive confrontation.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma offers a vivid political-ethical maxim. He uses the metaphor of carrying an enemy on one’s shoulder during adverse times, then shattering him like a pot on stone when favorable conditions return—illustrating how a ruler should calibrate action to changing circumstances.