Shloka 31
राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः
Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration
कलत्रमादित: कृत्वा सर्व वो विनशेदिति । अपि चेत् पुत्रदारार्थमर्थसंचय इष्यते
kalatram āditaḥ kṛtvā sarva vo vinaśed iti | api cet putradārārtham arthasañcaya iṣyate ||
Bhishma sprach: „Wenn Feinde angreifen, trifft die Gefahr zuerst eure Frau und euer Haus; und mit ihnen kann alles, was ihr besitzt, zugrunde gehen. Selbst wenn das Ansammeln von Reichtum zum Schutz von Söhnen und Gattin gebilligt wird, bedenkt: In der Not werden gerade jene, um derentwillen man sammelt, zum ersten Ort der Gefahr. Darum wägt Bindung, Schutz und Vorsicht mit Unterscheidungsvermögen.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth is often justified as a means to protect one’s family, yet in times of attack or crisis the family becomes the first locus of vulnerability; therefore one should not be blindly attached to possessions or dependents, but act with discernment about security, priorities, and the limits of material protection.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and practical ethics. Here he warns about the consequences of enemy aggression: when danger comes, wives and children are threatened first, and with them one’s accumulated wealth can be lost—prompting reflection on why wealth is gathered and how to respond wisely in adversity.