Shloka 24
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
अनिश्चयो हि युद्धेषु द्वयोविंवदमानयो: । एक: प्राप्रोति विजयमेकश्नैव पराजयम्
aniścayo hi yuddheṣu dvayor vivadamānayoḥ | ekaḥ prāpnoti vijayam ekaś caiva parājayam ||
Bhīṣma dit : Dans les combats entre deux partis en querelle, l’issue n’est jamais certaine. Quand le différend s’embrase en guerre, l’un obtient la victoire et l’autre rencontre inévitablement la défaite.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
War between rivals has no guaranteed outcome; since victory and defeat are uncertain and costly, one should be cautious about escalating disputes into violence and should prefer restraint and wise counsel.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and statecraft; here he underscores a practical moral lesson: once conflict becomes war, certainty vanishes and one party will suffer defeat.