Shloka 9
धर्म्यविजय-नियमाः
Rules for Dharmic Victory in Kṣatriya Engagement
स चेन्निकृत्या युद्धयेत निकृत्या प्रतियोधयेत् । अथ चेद् धर्मतो युद्धयेद् धर्मेणैव निवारयेत्
sa cen nikṛtyā yudhyeta nikṛtyā pratiyodhayet | atha ced dharmato yudhyed dharmeṇaiva nivārayet ||
ភីស្មៈ «បើសត្រូវប្រយុទ្ធដោយល្បិចកល នោះគួរតបតទៅដោយល្បិចកលដូចគ្នា។ តែបើគេប្រយុទ្ធតាមធម៌ នោះគួរទប់ទល់គេដោយធម៌តែប៉ុណ្ណោះ មិនគួរប្រើវិធីអធម៌ឡើយ។»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches a conditional ethic of warfare: answer deceit with deceit if necessary, but when the opponent is righteous, respond only with righteous means. Dharma is not to be abandoned against a dharmic adversary.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship and conduct, Bhishma lays down a rule for how a warrior or ruler should respond to an enemy’s mode of fighting—distinguishing between treacherous and dharmic combat and prescribing an appropriate, ethically bounded response.