Shloka 11
Nīti-upadeśa to a Rājaputra: Self-restraint, Alliances, and Rival-Management (नीतिउपदेशः)
परैर्वा संविदं कृत्वा बलमप्यस्य घातय
parair vā saṃvidaṃ kṛtvā balam apy asya ghātaya | athavā śatrūn śubhair alabhyaiś ca dravyaiḥ strībhiḥ śayanāsanavāhanaiḥ bahumūlyagṛhair nānārasagandhaphalaiś ca āsaktān kurv iti | nānāpakṣiṇāṃ vividhajātīyapaśūnāṃ ca pālane āsaktiṃ tasya manasi janaya, yena sa śanaiḥ śanaiḥ dhanahīnaḥ san svata eva naśyet ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Maaaring makipagtipan ka sa iba at ipagawa sa kanila ang pagwasak maging ng lakas ng kaaway; o kaya, makipag-isa sa iba upang sa pamamagitan nila ay mawasak ang kapangyarihan ng kaaway. Prinsipe, itali mo ang kaaway sa mga kaakit-akit na bagay na mahirap makamit—mga babae, mararangyang kasuotan para sa pagtakip at paghihigaan, mahuhusay na kama, upuan, sasakyan, mamahaling bahay, at sari-saring lasa, halimuyak, at prutas. Pukawin mo rin sa kanyang isip ang pagkahilig sa pag-aalaga ng iba’t ibang ibon at mga hayop na sari-saring lahi, upang unti-unti siyang maubusan ng yaman at kusang mapahamak.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches pragmatic rāja-nīti: weaken an adversary either through alliances that neutralize his power directly, or by inducing costly attachments to luxury and indulgence so that he becomes financially exhausted and collapses from within.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma addresses a prince and outlines a strategy for dealing with enemies: coordinate with other powers to diminish the enemy’s strength, and/or distract the enemy with pleasures and expensive pursuits (comforts, sensual enjoyments, and maintaining birds and animals) until his resources are depleted.