Shloka 8

धर्म्यविजय-नियमाः

Rules for Dharmic Victory in Kṣatriya Engagement

Devanagari script

स चेत्‌ सन्नद्ध आगच्छेत्‌ सन्नद्धव्यं ततो भवेत्‌ । स चेत्‌ ससैन्य आगच्छेत्‌ ससैन्यस्तमथाह्वयेत्‌,यदि वह कवच बाँधकर सामने आ जाय तो स्वयं भी कवच धारण कर ले। यदि विपक्षी सेनाके साथ आवे तो स्वयं भी सेनाके साथ आकर शत्रुको ललकारे

Transliteration

sa cet sannaddha āgacchet sannaddhavyaṃ tato bhavet | sa cet sasainya āgacchet sasainyas tam athāhvayet ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「敵が完全武装して来るなら、こちらも同じく武装すべきである。軍勢を伴って進み来るなら、こちらも自軍を率いて出て、これを挑戦せよ。」

Word by Word

सःhe

चेत्if

सन्नद्धःarmed, armored, prepared

आगच्छेत्should come, may come

सन्नद्धव्यम्should be armed / must arm (oneself)

ततःthen, thereupon

भवेत्should be, should become

सःhe

चेत्if

ससैन्यःwith (his) army

आगच्छेत्should come, may come

ससैन्यःwith (one's) army

तम्him

अथthen, thereupon

आह्वयेत्should challenge, should call out

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

opponent/enemy (implicit)

armor (kavaca, implied by sannaddha)

army (sena)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should respond to an aggressor with appropriate preparedness: match armor with armor and army with army. The teaching emphasizes measured, duty-bound readiness rather than either cowardice (being unprepared) or excess (unnecessary escalation).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on rājadharma in Śānti Parva, he outlines practical norms for confronting an enemy: if the adversary approaches armed or with troops, the ruler/warrior should likewise equip himself and meet the challenge with corresponding force.