Shloka 63
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
शूरमञ्जलिपातेन भीरूुं भेदेन भेदयेत् । लुब्धमर्थप्रदानेन सम॑ तुल्येन विग्रह:
śūram añjalipātena bhīruṁ bhedena bhedayet | lubdham arthapradānena samaṁ tulyena vigrahaḥ ||
毗湿摩说：真正勇武之人，当以恭敬俯首（合掌致礼）而收服；怯懦之人，当以恐惧震慑而瓦解；贪婪之人，当以财物赐予而控制；而与势力相当者——当与之公开交锋。此偈陈述治国之术的务实伦理：性情各异，手段亦当各异；政略须随对手之性而调，不可一概而施。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches differentiated policy in governance: respond to people according to their dominant disposition—honor and humility for the brave, deterrent fear for the timid, incentives for the greedy, and direct confrontation when facing an equal. It frames this as practical nīti within rājadharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma and political conduct. Here he gives a compact rule-of-thumb for dealing with different types of opponents or subjects, emphasizing situational judgment in maintaining order and security.