Shloka 41
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
क्षयं वृद्धि पालन संचयं वा बुद्ध्वाप्युभी संहतौ सर्वकामौ । ततकश्चान्यन्मतिमान् संदधीत तस्माद् राजा बुद्धिमत्तां श्रयेत
kṣayaṁ vṛddhiṁ pālana-saṁcayaṁ vā buddhvāpy ubhī saṁhatau sarva-kāmau | tataḥ kaś cānyan matimān sandadhīta tasmād rājā buddhimattāṁ śrayeta ||
Bhishma berkata: Setelah memahami susut dan tumbuh, menjaga dan menghimpun—serta mengerti bahwa kuasa dan kenikmatan selalu saling terkait dan saling bergantung—barulah raja yang bijak menetapkan langkah: bersekutu atau memusuhi musuhnya. Karena itu, dalam pertimbangan demikian, penguasa hendaknya bersandar pada nasihat orang-orang bijaksana.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must weigh loss and gain, security and accumulation, and the interdependence of power and enjoyment; only after such assessment should he choose peace (alliance) or conflict with an enemy, relying on wise counsel.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance: strategic decisions about treaty or hostility should be made after careful evaluation and consultation with the wise.