Shloka 13

Devanagari script

न संनिपात: कर्तव्य: सामान्ये विजये सति । विश्वास्यैवोपसन्नार्थों वशे कृत्वा रिपु: प्रभो,प्रभो! जब युद्धमें विजय एक सामान्य वस्तु है (किसीको भी वह मिल सकती है), तब उसके लिये पहले ही युद्ध नहीं करना चाहिये, अपितु शत्रुको अच्छी तरह विश्वास दिलाकर वशमें कर लेनेके पश्चात्‌ अवसर देखकर उसके सारे मनसूबेको नष्ट कर देना चाहिये

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | na sannipātaḥ kartavyaḥ sāmānye vijaye sati | viśvāsyaivopasannārtho vaśe kṛtvā ripuḥ prabho ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Apabila kemenangan dalam peperangan itu sesuatu yang lazim namun tidak menentu—yang boleh jatuh kepada sesiapa sahaja—janganlah tergesa-gesa mencari pertembungan langsung semata-mata kerananya. Sebaliknya, wahai tuanku, setelah terlebih dahulu meraih kepercayaan musuh dan menundukkannya di bawah kawalan, pada saat yang tepat hendaklah dimusnahkan segala rancangan dan helahnya.”

Word by Word

नnot

संनिपातःbattle/armed encounter; coming together (of armies)

कर्तव्यःto be done; should be undertaken

सामान्येin (something) common/ordinary

विजयेin victory

सतिwhen (it) exists; being (present)

विश्वास्यto be made trusting; to be won over (by trust)

एवindeed; only

उपसन्नार्थःone whose aim is to approach/seek (an opportunity); having approached with a purpose

वशेin control; under power

कृत्वाhaving made; having brought (into)

रिपुःenemy

प्रभोO lord

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

enemy (ripu)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma advises that since battlefield victory is not guaranteed and can go to anyone, a ruler should avoid needless direct confrontation and instead use statecraft—winning the opponent’s trust, gaining leverage, and then neutralizing the opponent’s plans at an opportune time.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs the king on governance and political conduct. Here he presents a counsel of rāja-nīti: do not seek a head-on battle when outcomes are uncertain; prefer controlled, calculated measures to subdue an enemy and thwart his intentions.