Shloka 13
देवविमान-दर्शनम् / The Celestial Assembly and Vimana Spectacle
Bhīṣma–Arjuna Encounter Framed Cosmically
बलस्य व्यसनानीह यान्युक्तानि मनीषिभि: । मुख्यो भेदो हि तेषां तु पापिष्ठो विदुषां मत:
balasya vyasanānīha yāny uktāni manīṣibhiḥ | mukhyo bhedo hi teṣāṃ tu pāpiṣṭho viduṣāṃ mataḥ ||
సేన వినాశానికి దారితీసే విపత్తులలో మునులు చెప్పిన వాటిలో అంతర్గత విభేదమే ప్రధానము. పండితుల అభిప్రాయములో ఆ వర్గభేదము మహాపాపము.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the most destructive threat to collective strength—especially an army—is internal dissension. Unity is a moral and strategic necessity; causing or tolerating factionalism is judged by the wise as profoundly sinful because it leads to collapse and widespread harm.
Bhishma is giving counsel framed as ethical-political instruction. He identifies the principal cause of an army’s destruction as ‘bheda’ (internal split), emphasizing that learned authorities condemn such division as the worst wrongdoing.