Shloka 22

Devanagari script

संनिपातो न मन्तव्य: शक्‍्ये सति कथंचन । सान्त्वभेदप्रदानानां युद्धमुत्तरमुच्यते

Transliteration

sannipāto na mantavyaḥ śakye sati kathaṃcana | sāntvabhedapradānānāṃ yuddham uttaram ucyate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma déclara : «Tant qu’un accord demeure possible, il ne faut jamais choisir l’affrontement à découvert. Parmi les moyens de conciliation, de division et d’offrandes d’incitations, la guerre est proclamée comme l’ultime recours.»

Word by Word

• संनिपातः: battle/armed clash
• संनिपातः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिपात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मन्तव्यः: to be considered/accepted (ought not be)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्तव्य (√मन्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शक्ये: when possible
• शक्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (√शक्)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सति: being (present); in the case of
• सति: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (√अस्)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कथंचन: in any way; somehow
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन

• सान्त्व: conciliation/persuasion
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• भेद: division/dissension
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रदानानाम्: of gifts/granting (bribery)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदान
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• युद्धम्: war
• युद्धम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उत्तरम्: later; subsequent; last
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उच्यते: is said/called
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

War is ethically permissible only as a final option. A ruler should first attempt sāntva (conciliation), then bheda (strategic division of hostile forces), then pradāna (inducements), and only when these fail should yuddha (war) be undertaken.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kings). Here he outlines a graded policy for handling enemies: prioritize peace-making and political measures, and treat battle as the last step.