Shloka 81
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
उपायविजयं श्रेष्ठमाहुभेंदेन मध्यमम् । जघन्य एष विजयो यो युद्धेन विशाम्पते
upāyavijayaṁ śreṣṭham āhur bhedena madhyamam | jaghanya eṣa vijayo yo yuddhena viśāmpate rājān ||
नीति-उपायों से प्राप्त विजय को श्रेष्ठ कहा गया है; भेद-नीति से शत्रु में फूट डालकर जो विजय मिले, वह मध्यम है; और युद्ध में मार-काट करके जो विजय पाई जाए, हे प्रजापति राजन्, वह सबसे निकृष्ट विजय है।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse ranks forms of victory ethically: the highest is success through wise policy and non-violent means; creating division in the enemy is a lesser, morally mixed method; and victory through open war and killing is the lowest, to be avoided when better options exist.
Vyāsa addresses a king and offers counsel on governance and conflict: he evaluates different political methods of overcoming an opponent, emphasizing that resorting to war is inferior compared to strategic and diplomatic resolution.