Shloka 14
Nīti-upadeśa to a Rājaputra: Self-restraint, Alliances, and Rival-Management (नीतिउपदेशः)
यद्येवं प्रतिषेद्धव्यो यद्युपेक्षणमर्हति । न जातु विवृतः कार्य: शत्रु: सुनयमिच्छता
bhīṣma uvāca | yady evaṁ pratiṣeddhavyo yady upekṣaṇam arhati | na jātu vivṛtaḥ kāryaḥ śatruḥ sunayam icchatā ||
毗湿摩说道：“若在此情形下应当约束敌人，便当约束；若他该被置之不理，便置之不理。然而，求取善政之果的君王，无论何时何地，都不可在敌人面前泄露自己内心的真实意图。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should act with discernment—restrain an adversary when restraint is necessary, ignore when ignoring is strategically proper—but in all cases must not reveal his inner intentions to an enemy, since secrecy is integral to sound policy (sunaya).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship and governance, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on practical political conduct: choosing between intervention and non-interference toward an enemy, while maintaining confidentiality of one’s plans and motives.