Shloka 4
आपद्धर्मे राज्ञः नीतिः — Bharadvāja’s Counsel on Crisis-Statecraft (Śānti Parva 138)
तत्रैको दीर्घकालज्ञ उत्पन्नप्रतिभो5पर: । दीर्घसूत्रश्न तत्रैकस्त्रयाणां सहचारिणाम्
tatraiko dīrghakālajña utpannapratibho 'paraḥ | dīrghasūtrī ca tatraikaḥ trayāṇāṃ sahacāriṇām ||
毗湿摩说道：“那三位同伴之中，一位目光深远，善于筹谋，能预见漫长岁月里将要展开之事；另一位机敏聪慧，临机应变，恰在所需之时以灵思巧智济其所急；第三位则是拖延之徒，凡事无端迟缓，徒增耽搁。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma distinguishes three temperaments relevant to dharmic conduct: long-term foresight, timely presence of mind, and harmful delay. The implied ethical lesson is to value prudent planning and timely action while avoiding procrastination that can ruin even good intentions.
Bhīṣma is describing three companions by their characteristic modes of intelligence and action—one who plans for the long term, one who responds brilliantly in the moment, and one who habitually postpones—setting up a moral comparison within his instruction.