स्पर्थिनश्वैव ये केचित् तान् युक्त उपधारय । एतेन त्वं प्रकारेण महतो भेत्स्यसे गणान्
sparthinaś caiva ye kecit tān yukta upadhāraya | etena tvaṃ prakāreṇa mahato bhetsyase gaṇān ||
Dan siapa pun yang digerakkan oleh persaingan serta kepentingan diri, amati dan timbanglah mereka dengan siasat yang tepat dan kejernihan budi. Dengan menempuh cara ini, engkau akan mampu memecah-belah bahkan golongan yang besar dan kuat.
पुत्र उवाच
The verse advises discerning leadership: identify those motivated by rivalry and self-interest, evaluate them carefully, and use appropriate strategy to prevent them from consolidating power—thus even large factions can be divided and neutralized.
A son addresses someone in an advisory tone, offering practical counsel on how to deal with competitive, self-serving people within groups—urging careful assessment and strategic action to break up powerful collectives.