Shloka 7
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
स काक॑ पज्जरे बद्ध्वा विषयं क्षेमदर्शिन: । सर्व पर्यचरद् युक्तः प्रवृत्त्यर्थी पुनः: पुन:
sa kākaṁ pañjare baddhvā viṣayaṁ kṣemadarśinaḥ | sarvaṁ paryacarad yuktaḥ pravṛttyarthī punaḥ punaḥ ||
Nachdem er die Krähe in einen Käfig gesperrt hatte, zog er—auf das Wohl und die Sicherheit des Reiches bedacht—diszipliniert durch das Land und suchte immer wieder nach Gelegenheiten, angemessen zu handeln und einzugreifen.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler or responsible agent should prioritize the realm’s welfare (kṣema) through disciplined, repeated, hands-on oversight—restraining disruptive elements and actively ensuring orderly conduct.
Bhīṣma describes someone who first captures and cages a crow (a concrete act of restraint), and then repeatedly moves through the territory with disciplined intent, seeking opportunities to act so that the domain remains secure and well-governed.