Shanti Parva Adhyaya 103 Shloka 22 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 22

Jaitrya-nimitta: Signs of Prospective Victory and the Priority of Conciliation (जयलक्षण-निमित्त तथा सान्त्व-प्रधान नीति)

Devanagari script

संनिपातो न मन्तव्य: शक्‍्ये सति कथंचन । सान्त्वभेदप्रदानानां युद्धमुत्तरमुच्यते

Transliteration

sannipāto na mantavyaḥ śakye sati kathaṃcana | sāntvabhedapradānānāṃ yuddham uttaram ucyate ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“只要尚有任何和解的可能，便不应选择公开的对抗。在安抚和解、离间分化与以利诱之三策之中，战争被宣告为最后的手段。”

Word by Word

संनिपातःbattle/armed clash

नnot

मन्तव्यःto be considered/accepted (ought not be)

शक्येwhen possible

सतिbeing (present); in the case of

कथंचनin any way; somehow

सान्त्वconciliation/persuasion

भेदdivision/dissension

प्रदानानाम्of gifts/granting (bribery)

युद्धम्war

उत्तरम्later; subsequent; last

उच्यतेis said/called

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

War is ethically permissible only as a final option. A ruler should first attempt sāntva (conciliation), then bheda (strategic division of hostile forces), then pradāna (inducements), and only when these fail should yuddha (war) be undertaken.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kings). Here he outlines a graded policy for handling enemies: prioritize peace-making and political measures, and treat battle as the last step.