Shloka 20
भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा
Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors
भिन्ना हि सेना नृपते दुःसंधेया भवत्युत । मौला हि पुरुषव्यात्र किमु नानासमुत्थिता:
bhinnā hi senā nṛpate duḥsandheyā bhavaty uta | maulā hi puruṣavyāghra kimu nānāsamutthitāḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，一支军队一旦因内部分裂而破裂，便极难再度合一。在那样的境况下，连世代相随、根基深厚的旧臣也会脱离掌控；更何况那些从四方汇聚、只为一时之事而来的众人呢？”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that political and military strength depends on cohesion: once factionalism fractures an army, reconciliation is extremely difficult, and loyalty—especially among even long-standing retainers—becomes unreliable; therefore a ruler must prevent internal splits before they occur.
In Udyoga Parva, Bhishma is giving strategic and ethical counsel to the Kuru king, warning about the dangers of internal discord in the forces and the instability of alliances, especially when troops are a coalition drawn from many regions rather than bound by inherited loyalty.