Shloka 10

Bala and Dharma in Kṣatriya Governance (बल-धर्म सम्बन्धः)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच क्षिप्रं वा संधिकाम: स्यात्‌ क्षिप्रं वा तीक्षणविक्रम: । तदापनयनं क्षिप्रमेतावत्‌ साम्परायिकम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | kṣipraṃ vā sandhikāmaḥ syāt kṣipraṃ vā tīkṣṇavikramaḥ | tad-āpānayanaṃ kṣipram etāvat sāmparāyikam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，在此情势下，君主或当迅速求和结盟、以谈判定局；或当以凌厉果决之勇，尽快将敌人逐出国境。若在这必要的奋起之中不幸身死，此死亦将成为来世的吉祥。”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• सन्धि-कामः: desirous of peace/conciliation
• सन्धि-कामः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्धि-काम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: should be / may become
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• तीक्ष्ण-विक्रमः: of fierce/keen prowess
• तीक्ष्ण-विक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण-विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (course/that act)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अपनयनम्: removal, driving away
• अपनयनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपनयन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र

• एतावत्: this much, only so much
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतावत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• साम्परायिकम्: pertaining to the hereafter; other-worldly consequence
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साम्परायिक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king, addressed as 'rājan')
• śatru (enemy, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must not remain indecisive in crisis: he should promptly choose either peace through negotiation (sandhi) or decisive force to expel the enemy. Even if death occurs while fulfilling this duty, it is considered spiritually auspicious because it is undertaken for righteous protection of the realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on rājadharma, he advises the king on how to respond when the kingdom is threatened: act quickly—either secure a settlement or display resolute valor to remove the enemy—emphasizing duty-bound action over hesitation.