Shloka 30
मृदु-तीक्ष्ण-नीति तथा दुष्टलक्षण-विज्ञानम्
Measured Policy and the Recognition of Malicious Disposition
प्रणिपातेन दानेन वाचा मधुरया ब्रुवन् अमित्रमपि सेवेत न च जातु विशड्कयेत्
praṇipātena dānena vācā madhurayā bruvan | amitram api seveta na ca jātu viśaṅkayet ||
“Bằng sự cúi đầu khiêm nhường, bằng lễ vật, và bằng lời nói ngọt ngào, nhà vua nên đối đãi cả kẻ thù như bạn. Chớ để trong lòng hắn nảy sinh một mảy nghi ngờ.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should neutralize hostility through humility, generosity, and gentle speech, cultivating even an enemy as if a friend, and must avoid creating suspicion—because trust and reassurance can prevent conflict and secure political stability.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance: how a king should deal with adversaries using conciliatory conduct and careful management of perceptions, rather than provoking fear or doubt.