Shloka 6

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

अमित्रा एव राजानं भेदेनोपचरन्त्युत । तां राजा निकृतिं जानन्‌ यथामित्रान्‌ प्रबाधते

Transliteration

amitrā eva rājānaṃ bhedenopacaranti ca | tāṃ rājā nikṛtiṃ jñātvā yathāmitrān prabādhate ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：那些并非真正的朋友——实为暗藏的仇敌——以外表的侍奉接近君王，却在内廷之中挑拨离间。君王识破此等欺诈，当如对待公开之敌一般加以约束与镇压；因为这种潜伏的敌意，对依达摩而治的王道尤为凶险。

Word by Word

• अमित्राः: non-friends, enemies (in the guise of friends)
• अमित्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भेदेन: by division, by sowing dissension
• भेदेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उपचरन्ति: they attend on, they serve (with ulterior motive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-चर्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• उत: and, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• ताम्: that (deceit/stratagem)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निकृतिम्: deceit, treachery
• निकृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकृति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• जानन्: knowing, understanding
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अमित्रान्: enemies, non-friends
• अमित्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रबाधते: he oppresses, subdues, destroys
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- बाध्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king)
• amitra (covert enemies posing as friends)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must not be misled by outward displays of loyalty. Those who create internal divisions while pretending to serve are effectively enemies; recognizing such deceit, the king should check and suppress them to protect the integrity of governance and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on rājadharma, he warns about courtly intrigue: false friends infiltrate the king’s inner circle and foment factionalism. Bhīṣma advises the king to identify this treachery and treat such persons as hostile threats.