Shloka 41
मृदु-तीक्ष्ण-नीति तथा दुष्टलक्षण-विज्ञानम्
Measured Policy and the Recognition of Malicious Disposition
मायाविभेदानुपसर्जनानि तथैव पापं न यशःप्रयोगात् । आप्तैर्मनुष्यैरुपचारयेत पुरेषु राष्ट्रेषु च सम्प्रयुक्तान्
bhīṣma uvāca |
māyā-vibhedānupasarjanāni tathaiva pāpaṁ na yaśaḥ-prayogāt |
āptair manuṣyair upacārayet pureṣu rāṣṭreṣu ca samprayuktān ||
毗湿摩说道：国王应当借助可信之人，在敌国城邑与州郡之中发动种种权谋——制造分裂，使其彼此结怨相仇；亦可令间谍乔装潜伏其间。然而，为护持自身清名，他必须确保己方不以政略为名而行盗窃、暗杀之类的罪业。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches a balance in rājadharma: a king may use strategic deception—such as sowing dissension and deploying spies—against enemies, but must restrain himself from intrinsically sinful acts (e.g., theft, covert murder) so that policy does not destroy moral legitimacy and public honor (yaśas).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on practical governance and security. Here he outlines covert measures to weaken hostile states from within, while simultaneously warning that the king must protect his own reputation by forbidding criminal excesses committed in the name of strategy.