Shloka 48
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
सम्प्रयुक्ते निकृष्टे वा सत्यं वा यदि वानृतम् । प्रगृह्म बाहुन् क्रोशेत भग्ना भग्ना: परे इति
samprayukte nikṛṣṭe vā satyaṃ vā yadi vānṛtam | pragṛhya bāhūn krośet bhagnā bhagnāḥ pare iti ||
Bhishma bersabda: Sama ada keadaan seimbang atau memihak lawan, sama ada berkata benar atau bahkan berdusta, hendaklah seseorang mengangkat kedua-dua tangan dan melaung kuat: “Mereka telah hancur! Musuh telah hancur!”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of speech and morale in conflict: even under disadvantage, a force can attempt to turn the tide by a bold public cry of victory. It also raises an ethical tension—invoking untruth for strategic effect—showing that in discussions of rājadharma and warfare, practical considerations sometimes contend with strict truthfulness.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on governance and conduct, including aspects of warfare and statecraft. Here he describes a tactical act: raising one’s arms and loudly proclaiming that the enemy is broken, to intimidate opponents and strengthen one’s own side, regardless of whether the claim is strictly true.