Shloka 2
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
भीष्म उवाच सत्येन हि स्थितो धर्म उपपत्त्या तथा परे । साध्वाचारतया केचित् तथैवौपयिकादपि
bhīṣma uvāca satyena hi sthito dharma upapattyā tathā pare | sādhvācāratayā kecit tathaivaupāyikād api ||
Bhishma dit : Ô roi, certains tiennent que le dharma ne demeure ferme que par la vérité. D’autres soutiennent que le dharma s’établit par un raisonnement juste et une légitime démonstration. Quelques-uns disent que le dharma perdure grâce à une conduite noble et à l’exemple; et beaucoup admettent encore que le dharma peut être maintenu par des moyens pratiques—tels la conciliation et les dons—selon ce que permettent les circonstances.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma presents multiple foundations proposed for dharma—truth, rational justification, exemplary conduct, and practical expedients—showing that thinkers explain dharma’s stability through different but complementary lenses.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma instructs King Yudhishthira on dharma after the war, here summarizing various viewpoints about what most firmly establishes and sustains dharma in life and governance.