Shloka 21
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
त॑ राजा प्रत्युवाचेदं यत् किंचिन्मां भवान् वदेत् । कस्मादहं न क्षमेयमाकाड्क्षन्नात्मनो हितम्
rājā pratyuvācedaṃ yat kiṃcin māṃ bhavān vadet | kasmād ahaṃ na kṣameyam ākāṅkṣann ātmano hitam ||
Bhishma sprach: Der König erwiderte: „Was immer du mir sagen willst, sprich ohne Furcht. Da ich mein eigenes Wohl und meine Sicherheit suche, warum sollte ich dir nicht vergeben? O Bester der Brahmanen, sprich, wie es dir beliebt. Ich gelobe: Was immer du mir gebietest oder rätst, dem werde ich Folge leisten.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should welcome truthful counsel without fear or retaliation; forgiveness and receptivity to guidance are presented as practical dharma that protects one’s own welfare and the stability of rule.
In Bhishma’s narration, the king responds to a Brahmin/ascetic by inviting him to speak freely and promising forgiveness and obedience to what is advised, signaling the king’s commitment to ethical governance and self-correction.