Shloka 11
राज्ञो वृत्त-गुण-संग्रहः (Conduct and the Thirty-Six Virtues of a King) / The King’s Code of Conduct
प्रहरेन्न त्वविज्ञाय हत्वा शत्रूनू न शोचयेत् । क्रोधं कुर्यान्न चाकस्मान्मृदुः स्यान्नापकारिषु
praharenna tv avijñāya hatvā śatrūn na śocayet | krodhaṃ kuryān na cākasmān mṛduḥ syān nāpakāriṣu ||
Bhīṣma dit : Qu’on ne frappe pas sans avoir d’abord compris l’affaire. Après avoir abattu les ennemis, qu’on ne sombre pas dans le chagrin. Qu’on ne cède pas à une colère soudaine et sans cause. Et qu’on soit doux—mais non envers ceux qui nuisent.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Act with discernment and restraint: verify before using force, do not be consumed by remorse after necessary battle, avoid causeless anger, and practice gentleness tempered by firmness toward harm-doers.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira principles of disciplined action and emotional control suited to governance and conflict.