Shloka 22
धर्म्यविजय-नियमाः
Rules for Dharmic Victory in Kṣatriya Engagement
अथैनमभिनिन्दन्ति भिन्न कुम्भमिवाश्मनि | तस्माद् धर्मेण विजयं कोशं लिप्सेत भूमिप:
athainam abhinindanti bhinna-kumbham ivāśmani | tasmād dharmeṇa vijayaṃ kośaṃ lipseta bhūmipaḥ ||
Kemudian orang-orang mencela dia—seperti kendi yang pecah berkeping-keping ketika dibanting ke batu. Karena itu, wahai Raja, hendaknya seorang penguasa menginginkan kemenangan dan perbendaharaan hanya melalui dharma—dengan cara yang benar—agar keberhasilan tidak berakhir dalam aib dan kehancuran.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should pursue victory and wealth only through dharma; success gained by unrighteous means leads to public condemnation and eventual ruin, like a pot shattered on stone.
Bhishma, instructing on rājadharma in the Shanti Parva, warns that a king who acts wrongly becomes an object of blame; he urges the king to seek conquest and revenue through righteous conduct.