Shloka 10
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
पुरे जनपदे चैव तथा सामन्तराजसु | यथा न विद्युरन्योन्यं प्रणिधेयास्तथा हि ते
pure janapade caiva tathā sāmantarājasu | yathā na vidyur anyonyaṁ praṇidhe yās tathā hi te ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Dans la cité et dans la campagne, et de même parmi les rois voisins, que tes agents soient placés de telle sorte qu’ils ne se reconnaissent pas entre eux. Car c’est ainsi qu’ils serviront réellement leur dessein.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma advises a ruler to deploy intelligence agents across the capital, provinces, and neighboring courts in a compartmentalized way—agents should not know each other—so that the network remains secure and effective.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma is outlining practical measures of governance for the king, here emphasizing covert administration and the protection of the realm through discreet, non-interlinked informants.