Shloka 28
Jaitrya-nimitta: Signs of Prospective Victory and the Priority of Conciliation (जयलक्षण-निमित्त तथा सान्त्व-प्रधान नीति)
न हि तस्यान्यथा पीडा शक््या कर्तु तथाविधा । यथा सार्धममित्रेण सर्वतः प्रतिबाधनम्,अन्यथा उसको वैसी पीड़ा नहीं दी जा सकती, जैसी कि उसके शत्रुके साथ सन्धि करके दी जा सकती है। युद्ध इस प्रकार करना चाहिये, जिससे शत्रुपक्ष सब ओरसे संकटमें पड़ जाय
na hi tasyānyathā pīḍā śakyā kartuṃ tathāvidhā | yathā sārdham amitreṇa sarvataḥ pratibādhanam ||
न हि तस्यान्यथा पीडा शक्या कर्तुं तथाविधा । यथा सार्धममित्रेण सर्वतः प्रतिबाधनम् ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches a hard-edged principle of rāja-nīti: the most effective way to break an opponent is not only direct combat but strategic containment—using alliances (even with a foe) to obstruct and pressure the target from every direction.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on governance and policy. Here he explains a tactical maxim: suffering and defeat are best imposed by surrounding an adversary through coordinated action, so the enemy party finds no safe avenue and is forced into crisis on all sides.