Shloka 18
Jaitrya-nimitta: Signs of Prospective Victory and the Priority of Conciliation (जयलक्षण-निमित्त तथा सान्त्व-प्रधान नीति)
अपामिव महावेगस्त्रस्ता इव महामृगा: । दुर्निवार्यतमा चैव प्रभग्ना महती चमू:,यदि विशाल सेनामें भगदड़ मच जाती है तो उसे जलके महान् वेगके समान तथा भयभीत हुए महामृगोंके समान रोकना अत्यन्त कठिन हो जाता है
apām iva mahāvegas trastā iva mahāmṛgāḥ | durnivāryatamā caiva prabhagnā mahatī camūḥ ||
Бхишма сказал: «Когда великое войско ломается и в панике обращается в бегство, удержать его почти невозможно — как воды, несущиеся с могучим напором, как могучие звери, устрашённые и мчащиеся в давке.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Once collective fear spreads and an army’s formation and morale collapse, control becomes extremely hard; therefore a leader must prevent panic early through discipline, clear command, and steadiness.
In Bhishma’s instruction, he uses vivid similes—floodwaters and terrified large animals—to explain how a routed, stampeding host becomes nearly unmanageable, emphasizing the practical realities of war and governance.