Shloka 49
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
अभ्युत्थानाभिवादाभ्यां सम्प्रदानेन केनचित् । प्रतिपुष्पफलाघाती तीक्ष्णतुण्ड इव द्विज:
abhyutthānābhivādābhyāṃ sampradānena kenacit | pratipuṣpaphalāghātī tīkṣṇatuṇḍa iva dvijaḥ ||
भीष्म उवाच—अभ्युत्थानाभिवादाभ्यां सम्प्रदानेन केनचित्। शत्रुं वशीकृत्य पूर्वं, पश्चात् प्रतिपुष्पफलाघाती तीक्ष्णतुण्ड इव द्विजः साधनसाध्ययोः प्रहारं कुर्यात्॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches a rāja-nīti tactic: first disarm an adversary through courtesy, respect, and gifts to gain leverage; then weaken him by targeting both his ‘means’ (resources, supports) and ‘ends’ (goals, outcomes) in a thorough, step-by-step manner.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and policy, Bhishma is advising the listener on how a ruler should deal with hostile parties—beginning with diplomatic gestures and then proceeding, when necessary, to calculated measures that undermine the opponent’s capacity and objectives.