Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
षाड्गुण्यमिति यत् प्रोक्तं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर । संधानासनमित्येव यात्रासंधानमेव च
ṣāḍguṇyam iti yat proktaṃ tan nibodha yudhiṣṭhira | sandhānāsanam ity eva yātrā-sandhānam eva ca |
毗湿摩说道:“尤提施提罗啊,当明了所谓‘六策’(ṣāḍguṇya)。其要义在于:与敌缔结盟约而安处于和;兴师出征、进军伐敌;以及行军与结盟相互配合的战略运用。”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma introduces the ṣāḍguṇya (sixfold policy) of kingship—standard strategic options for dealing with rivals—framing political action as a disciplined, knowable set of choices rather than impulsive aggression.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma continues advising King Yudhishthira after the war, turning to practical governance: how a ruler should choose among peace, war, and mixed strategies when facing enemies.