Shloka 63
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
शूरमञ्जलिपातेन भीरूुं भेदेन भेदयेत् । लुब्धमर्थप्रदानेन सम॑ तुल्येन विग्रह:,“जो अपनेसे शूरवीर हो, उसे हाथ जोड़कर वशमें करे, जो डरपोक हो, उसे भय दिखाकर फोड़ ले लोभीको धन देकर काबूमें कर ले तथा जो बराबर हो उसके साथ युद्ध छेड़ दे
śūram añjalipātena bhīruṁ bhedena bhedayet | lubdham arthapradānena samaṁ tulyena vigrahaḥ ||
ശൂരനെ കൈകൂപ്പി വിനയത്തോടെ കീഴടക്കണം; ഭീരുവിനെ ഭയം കാട്ടി തകർക്കണം; ലോഭിയെ ധനം നൽകി നിയന്ത്രിക്കണം; സമബലനോടാകട്ടെ വിഗ്രഹം—യുദ്ധം—നടത്തണം.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches differentiated policy in governance: respond to people according to their dominant disposition—honor and humility for the brave, deterrent fear for the timid, incentives for the greedy, and direct confrontation when facing an equal. It frames this as practical nīti within rājadharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma and political conduct. Here he gives a compact rule-of-thumb for dealing with different types of opponents or subjects, emphasizing situational judgment in maintaining order and security.