Shloka 24
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
अनिश्चयो हि युद्धेषु द्वयोविंवदमानयो: । एक: प्राप्रोति विजयमेकश्नैव पराजयम्
aniścayo hi yuddheṣu dvayor vivadamānayoḥ | ekaḥ prāpnoti vijayam ekaś caiva parājayam ||
ビーシュマは言った。「争う二者の戦いにおいて、勝敗は決して定まらぬ。争いが戦へと燃え上がれば、一方が勝利を得、他方は必ず敗北に至る。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
War between rivals has no guaranteed outcome; since victory and defeat are uncertain and costly, one should be cautious about escalating disputes into violence and should prefer restraint and wise counsel.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and statecraft; here he underscores a practical moral lesson: once conflict becomes war, certainty vanishes and one party will suffer defeat.