Shloka 11
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
मूलमेवादितश्षछिन्द्यात् परपक्षस्य पण्डित: । ततः सहायान् पक्ष च मूलमेवानुसाधयेत्
bhīṣma uvāca | mūlam evāditaś chindyāt parapakṣasya paṇḍitaḥ | tataḥ sahāyān pakṣaṃ ca mūlam evānusādhayet |
毗湿摩说道：智者应当从一开始就斩断敌对派系的根本。随后，还应使其帮手与党羽循着同一条路被整肃归服——如此，敌人的支撑体系便会随其源头一并崩塌。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In statecraft and conflict-management, do not waste effort on symptoms; neutralize the enemy’s root cause—its leadership, base, or primary source of power—so that supporters and dependents naturally lose cohesion and can be brought under control.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship and policy, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on practical measures against hostile factions: first eliminate the central source of opposition, then deal with allies and partisans by aligning them to the outcome established at the root.