Shloka 27
Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies
Gaṇa-nīti
निग्रह: पण्डितै: कार्य: क्षिप्रमेव प्रधानत: । परस्पर फूटकर पृथक्-पृथक् अपनी शक्तिका प्रयोग करनेवाले लोगोंमें जो मुख्य-मुख्य नेता हों, उनका संघराज्यके विद्वान् अधिकारियोंको शीघ्र ही दमन करना चाहिये || २६६ || कुलेषु कलहा जाता: कुलवृद्धैरुपेक्षिता:
nigrahaḥ paṇḍitaiḥ kāryaḥ kṣipram eva pradhānataḥ | paraspara-phūṭakṛt pṛthak-pṛthag ātmanaḥ śaktiṃ prayuñjānānāṃ lokeṣu ye mukhya-mukhyā netāraḥ syuḥ, tān saṃgharājyasya vidvad-adhikāribhiḥ śīghram eva damayituṃ yuktam || kuleṣu kalaho jātaḥ kula-vṛddhair upekṣitaḥ ||
ビーシュマは言った。「賢者は先んじて動き、速やかに乱れを抑えねばならぬ。人々が対立する派に割れ、各々が力を別々に振るうなら、その中の主要な首領たちは、連合国家の学識ある官吏によって直ちに鎮圧されるべきである。さらに、氏族の内に争いが起こっても家の長老がこれを顧みぬなら、その不和は広い災厄へと膨れ上がる。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Preventive governance is a duty: wise authorities should restrain factional leaders quickly, because early intervention stops small ruptures from becoming systemic disorder.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the king on statecraft: when groups fracture and rival leaders mobilize separate power, the state must promptly curb them; likewise, family or clan quarrels ignored by elders tend to escalate.