Shloka 15
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
प्रणयेद् वापि तां भूमिं प्रणश्येद् गहने पुनः । हन्यात्क्रुद्धानतिविषास्तान् जिह्मगतयो5हितान्
praṇayed vāpi tāṁ bhūmiṁ praṇaśyed gahane punaḥ | hanyāt kruddhān ativīṣās tān jihmagatayo 'hitān ||
ビーシュマは言った。「王は、もしその技があるなら、敵の罠が張られた地にさえ敢えて踏み入れてよい。危難が迫るなら退いて、深い森に身を隠せ。狡猾に立ち回り、怒りに燃える敵どもは、猛毒の蛇と見なして打ち倒せ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Raja-dharma here emphasizes pragmatic protection of the realm: a king may take calculated risks, but should also know when to withdraw and hide; against treacherous, violently hostile enemies, decisive force is justified, likened to killing venomous serpents.
In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and security, he advises the king on how to respond to enemy plots: enter even trapped territory if strategically sound, retreat into a forest if danger peaks, and eliminate deceitful, enraged foes who pose lethal threat.