Shloka 35
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
साम भेद: प्रदानं च ततो दण्डश्न पार्थिव | उपेक्षा पञ्चमी चात्र कार्त्स्न्येन समुदाह्यता
sāma bhedaḥ pradānaṃ ca tato daṇḍaś ca pārthiva | upekṣā pañcamī cātra kārtsnyena samudāhṛtā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai raja, di sini dinyatakan dengan lengkap lima langkah kenegaraan: sāma (perdamaian/pendamaian), bheda (memecah-belahkan), pradāna/dāna (pemberian untuk memujuk), daṇḍa (hukuman atau kekuatan), dan sebagai yang kelima, upekṣā—pengabaian atau tidak campur tangan secara bersiasat.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should know and apply five policy instruments—conciliation, inducement, division, punishment, and strategic non-interference—ideally using the least harmful means first and escalating only as required by circumstances and dharma.
In the Śānti Parva instruction on kingship, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance (nīti), summarizing the classic five upāyas used to manage allies, rivals, and threats.