Shloka 15
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
प्रणयेद् वापि तां भूमिं प्रणश्येद् गहने पुनः । हन्यात्क्रुद्धानतिविषास्तान् जिह्मगतयो5हितान्
praṇayed vāpi tāṁ bhūmiṁ praṇaśyed gahane punaḥ | hanyāt kruddhān ativīṣās tān jihmagatayo 'hitān ||
Bhishma disse: “Um rei, se tiver habilidade para isso, pode até entrar deliberadamente numa região onde o inimigo armou um laço. Se o perigo for iminente, deve recuar e ocultar-se numa floresta densa. E esses inimigos hostis — de movimentos tortuosos e inflamados de ira — deve considerá-los como serpentes de veneno extremo e abatê-los.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Raja-dharma here emphasizes pragmatic protection of the realm: a king may take calculated risks, but should also know when to withdraw and hide; against treacherous, violently hostile enemies, decisive force is justified, likened to killing venomous serpents.
In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and security, he advises the king on how to respond to enemy plots: enter even trapped territory if strategically sound, retreat into a forest if danger peaks, and eliminate deceitful, enraged foes who pose lethal threat.