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Shloka 17

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

बहुभिग्गुणजातैश्व ये युद्धकुशला जना: । उपन्यासो भवेत्‌ तत्र बलानां नातिदूरत:,उस स्थानपर शत्रुओंके आक्रमणको रोकनेके लिये सुविधा होनी चाहिये। युद्धकुशल पुरुष सेनाकी छावनी डालनेके लिये खुले मैदानकी अपेक्षा अनेक गुणोंके कारण जंगलके निकटवर्ती स्थानको अधिक लाभदायक मानते हैं। उस वनके समीप ही सेनाका पड़ाव डालना चाहिये

bahubhir guṇajātaiś ca ye yuddhakuśalā janāḥ | upanyāso bhavet tatra balānāṃ nātidūrataḥ ||

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า—ผู้ชำนาญศึกซึ่งรู้คุณประโยชน์ของภูมิประเทศอันหลากหลาย ย่อมเห็นว่า ที่ตั้งใกล้ป่ามีประโยชน์กว่าทุ่งโล่งในการตั้งค่าย ดังนั้นค่ายทัพพึงตั้งไม่ไกลจากพงไพรนั้น เพื่อให้พร้อมและสะดวกในการสกัดการบุกของศัตรู

बहुभिःby many
बहुभिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
Formmasculine/neuter, instrumental, plural
गुणजातैःby collections of advantages/qualities
गुणजातैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootगुणजात
Formneuter, instrumental, plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
येwho
ये:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
युद्धकुशलाःskilled in war
युद्धकुशलाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootयुद्धकुशल
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
जनाःpeople/men
जनाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजन
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
उपन्यासःencampment/placing (of camp)
उपन्यासः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootउपन्यास
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
भवेत्should be/should happen
भवेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
Formoptative (vidhiling), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र
बलानाम्of the armies/forces
बलानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootबल
Formneuter, genitive, plural
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अतिदूरतःtoo far away
अतिदूरतः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतिदूर

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
A
army (balam)
F
forest/woodland (implied by context)

Educational Q&A

Bhishma teaches that military decisions should be guided by practical advantages (guṇa) of terrain: an encampment should be placed close to supportive natural features (like a forest) to improve defense, mobility, and readiness against sudden attack.

In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and warfare in the Shanti Parva, he gives tactical counsel on where an army should establish its camp, recommending a site near a forest rather than an exposed open field, so the force can better resist enemy assaults.