War in Ancient India c11.36

c11.36

If this discourse, which smacks of Machiavellianism in a sense, is read together with what Bharadvāja is said to have narrated on the same subject to Śatrujit, the king of the Sauvīras, in the Śānti Parvan, we can perceive that there are certain differences, though in fundamentals there is agreement between them. Despite these diplomatic intrigues, the Pāṇḍavas came out successful and were treated to an excellent discourse by the sage Nārada, versed especially in the six-fold policy (ṣaḍ-guṇa-vidhi).