Shloka 68
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
पण्डितेन विरुद्ध: सन् दूरस्थो5स्मीति नाश्वसेत् । दीर्घो बुद्धिमतो बाहू याभ्यां हिंसति हिंसित:
paṇḍitena viruddhaḥ san dūrastho ’smīti nāśvaset | dīrgho buddhimato bāhū yābhyāṃ hiṃsati hiṃsitaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“既与智者结怨，莫以为‘我在远处’便可安然。智者之臂甚长：一旦受辱，便能以深远之策反击，纵在远方亦可使仇敌覆亡。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not underestimate a wise and capable person after provoking him. Physical distance does not guarantee safety, because intelligence creates ‘long arms’—strategies, alliances, influence, and timely countermeasures that can reach far.
In Bhishma’s instruction discourse in the Shanti Parva, he offers a cautionary maxim: once one has entered into hostility with a paṇḍita (a discerning, resourceful person), one should not relax merely because one is geographically distant; the wronged wise person can retaliate effectively even from afar.