Shloka 36
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
मन्त्रश्न वर्णित: कृत्स्नस्तथा भेदार्थ एव च | विशभ्रमश्चैव मन्त्रस्य सिद्ध्यसिद्धौश्व यत् फलम्
mantraś ca varṇitaḥ kṛtsnas tathā bhedārtha eva ca | vibhramaś caiva mantrasya siddhy-asiddhau ca yat phalam |
毗湿摩说道：“在此论典中，关于谋议之道（mantra）已尽数阐释——并说明离间之策（bheda-nīti）的目的与运用之法；又论及谋议中生起的迷乱与风险（包括泄密之惧）；并且也讲明谋议成功与失败所招致的结果。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective governance depends on sound, confidential deliberation. The text highlights (1) the full scope of counsel, (2) the strategic use of bheda (division) when appropriate, (3) the dangers of confusion and leakage in deliberations, and (4) the concrete consequences of successful versus failed counsel—implying an ethical duty to be clear, prudent, and discreet for the welfare of the realm.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma. Here he summarizes what this śāstra section covers: counsel and its management, the policy of bheda, the internal risks of deliberation (confusion and fear of disclosure), and the outcomes that follow depending on whether counsel is successfully executed or not.