Shloka 26
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
एवं संचिन्त्य यो याति तिथिनक्षत्रपूजित: । विजयं लभते नित्यं सेनां सम्यक् प्रयोजयन् । प्रसुप्तांस्तृषितान् श्रान्तान् प्रकीर्णान्ू नाभिघातयेत्
bhīṣma uvāca | evaṃ saṃcintya yo yāti tithi-nakṣatra-pūjitaḥ | vijayaṃ labhate nityaṃ senāṃ samyak prayojayan | prasuptāṃs tṛṣitān śrāntān prakīrṇān na abhighātayet |
Disse Bhīṣma: “Aquele que, tendo refletido assim, avança contra o inimigo num dia lunar auspicioso e sob uma constelação favorável, e que dispõe seu exército com a devida ordem, alcança vitória de modo constante. Contudo, não deve golpear os que dormem, os que têm sede, os exaustos ou os que fogem dispersos.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Victory is linked not only to strategy and auspicious preparation but also to restraint: a righteous warrior should avoid attacking opponents who are helpless—sleeping, thirsty, exhausted, or scattered—upholding dharma even in war.
In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct, he advises how a commander should plan and deploy forces for success while simultaneously setting ethical limits on violence during an advance against the enemy.