Shloka 4

Adharmic Victory as Unstable; Rules of Restraint, Mediation, and Conciliation (अधर्मविजय-अध्रुवत्व तथा क्षमा-नयः)

Devanagari script

बलेन विजितो यश्व न त॑ युध्येत भूमिप: । संवत्सरं विप्रणयेत्‌ तस्माज्जात: पुनर्भवेत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | balena vijito yaśva na taṁ yudhyeta bhūmipaḥ | saṁvatsaraṁ vipraṇayet tasmāj jātaḥ punar bhavet |

Translation

பீஷ்மர் கூறினார்—ஓ யுதிஷ்டிரா! பலத்தால் தோற்கடிக்கப்பட்ட அரசன், அந்த வெற்றியாளனுடன் மீண்டும் போரிடக் கூடாது. மாறாக ஒரு ஆண்டு கட்டுப்பாடும் சமரசமும் கொண்ட நிலையில் வாழ வேண்டும்; அந்த தன்னடக்கத்திலிருந்து அவன் புதிதாய் பிறந்ததுபோல்—வலிமையும் செயற்பாட்டு தகுதியும் மீண்டும் பெறுவான்.

Word by Word

बलेनby force/strength

विजितःconquered/defeated

यःwho

नnot

तंhim

युध्येतshould fight

भूमिपःking (protector of the earth)

संवत्सरम्for a year

विप्रणयेत्should lead away/keep away (in exile/away from rule)

तस्मात्from that/thereafter

जातःborn/arisen

पुनःagain

भवेत्should become/should be

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Yudhishthira

bhūmipa (king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler who has been defeated by superior force should avoid futile, pride-driven retaliation; instead he should adopt restraint and measured conduct for a period, regaining stability and capacity to act wisely—‘reborn’ through discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma counsels Yudhishthira on proper conduct in political and military setbacks, advising withdrawal from immediate conflict and a year of regulated living to restore strength and judgment.