Shloka 14
Nīti-upadeśa to a Rājaputra: Self-restraint, Alliances, and Rival-Management (नीतिउपदेशः)
यद्येवं प्रतिषेद्धव्यो यद्युपेक्षणमर्हति । न जातु विवृतः कार्य: शत्रु: सुनयमिच्छता
bhīṣma uvāca | yady evaṁ pratiṣeddhavyo yady upekṣaṇam arhati | na jātu vivṛtaḥ kāryaḥ śatruḥ sunayam icchatā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Jika dalam keadaan demikian musuh patut dicegah, maka cegahlah; jika ia patut diabaikan, maka abaikanlah. Namun raja yang menghendaki buah kebijakan yang benar tidak boleh, dalam keadaan apa pun, membuka niat batinnya di hadapan musuh.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should act with discernment—restrain an adversary when restraint is necessary, ignore when ignoring is strategically proper—but in all cases must not reveal his inner intentions to an enemy, since secrecy is integral to sound policy (sunaya).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship and governance, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on practical political conduct: choosing between intervention and non-interference toward an enemy, while maintaining confidentiality of one’s plans and motives.