Shloka 24
मृदु-तीक्ष्ण-नीति तथा दुष्टलक्षण-विज्ञानम्
Measured Policy and the Recognition of Malicious Disposition
मार्दवं दण्ड आलस्यं प्रमादश्न सुरोत्तम । माया: सुविहिता: शक्र सादयन्त्यविचक्षणम्
mārdavaṁ daṇḍa ālasyaṁ pramādaś ca surottama | māyāḥ suvihitāḥ śakra sādayanty avicakṣaṇam ||
ದೇವೋತ್ತಮ ಶಕ್ರ (ಇಂದ್ರ)! ಅಯೋಗ್ಯ ಮೃದುತ್ವ, ಕಠೋರ ದಂಡ, ಆಲಸ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರಮಾದ—ಮತ್ತು ಶತ್ರುಗಳು ನಿಪುಣವಾಗಿ ಬಳಸುವ ಮಾಯಾ-ಯುಕ್ತಿಗಳು—ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ವಿವೇಕವಿಲ್ಲದ ರಾಜನನ್ನು ನಾಶಕ್ಕೂ ದುಃಖಕ್ಕೂ ತಳ್ಳುತ್ತವೆ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must balance gentleness and punishment with discernment and vigilance; idleness and negligence, along with enemy stratagems, can quickly ruin an undiscerning king.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance (rajadharma), Bhishma addresses Indra and lists key causes of a king’s downfall—misplaced softness, harshness, sloth, carelessness, and enemies’ well-planned deceptions.