Shloka 78
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
परिक्षीणाश्न लुब्धाश्न क्रुद्धा भीता: प्रतारिता: । हृतस्वा मानिनो ये च त्यक्तादाना महेप्सव:
parikṣīṇāś ca lubdhāś ca kruddhā bhītāḥ pratāritāḥ | hṛtasvā mānino ye ca tyaktadānā mahepsavaḥ ||
ভীষ্মে ক’লে—যিসকল ভৃত্য ক্ষীণ, লোভী, ক্ৰুদ্ধ, ভীত আৰু প্ৰতাৰিত; যিসকলৰ সৰ্বস্ব হৰণ হৈছে; যিসকল অহংকাৰী; যিসকল প্ৰাপ্য দান-পুরস্কাৰ নাপায়; আৰু যিসকল উচ্চ পদৰ আকাঙ্ক্ষী—এনে লোকসকল সেৱাত থাকিলেও শত্রুৰ হাতৰ সঁজুলি হৈ পৰে।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should be vigilant about retainers whose inner state is marked by deprivation, humiliation, fear, anger, greed, deception, or frustrated ambition; such conditions often turn a dependent into a conduit for hostile forces. Sound governance requires not only rewarding merit but also preventing the buildup of resentment that leads to betrayal.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on raja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira about political dangers within one’s own establishment. This verse lists categories of discontented or destabilized servants and warns that they commonly end up serving an enemy’s interests.