Shloka 68
पण्डितेन विरुद्ध: सन् दूरस्थो5स्मीति नाश्वसेत् । दीर्घो बुद्धिमतो बाहू याभ्यां हिंसति हिंसित:
paṇḍitena viruddhaḥ san dūrastho ’smīti nāśvaset | dīrgho buddhimato bāhū yābhyāṃ hiṃsati hiṃsitaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Setelah bermusuhan dengan orang bijak, jangan merasa aman hanya karena berpikir, ‘Aku jauh.’ Panjanglah lengan orang berakal: bila disakiti, ia dapat membalas dengan cara-cara yang menjangkau jauh, bahkan dari kejauhan menghancurkan musuhnya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not underestimate a wise and capable person after provoking him. Physical distance does not guarantee safety, because intelligence creates ‘long arms’—strategies, alliances, influence, and timely countermeasures that can reach far.
In Bhishma’s instruction discourse in the Shanti Parva, he offers a cautionary maxim: once one has entered into hostility with a paṇḍita (a discerning, resourceful person), one should not relax merely because one is geographically distant; the wronged wise person can retaliate effectively even from afar.