Shloka 110
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
न वश्चित् कस्यचिन्मित्रं न कश्नित् कस्यचिद्ू रिपु: | अर्थतस्तु निबद्धयन्ते मित्राणि रिपवस्तथा
na vaścit kasyacin mitraṁ na kaścit kasyacid ripuḥ | arthatastu nibaddhyante mitrāṇi ripavastathā ||
Bhishma sprach: Niemand ist von Natur aus jemandes Freund, und niemand ist von Natur aus jemandes Feind. In Wahrheit sind es Interessen, die Freundschaften knüpfen — und ebenso Interessen, die Feindschaften binden.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that social bonds like friendship and hostility are often contingent, shaped by artha (interest/advantage) rather than fixed, essential loyalties; therefore one should judge relationships realistically and ethically, not sentimentally.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and statecraft after the war; here he emphasizes the pragmatic basis on which alliances and rivalries commonly arise.