Shloka 8
Kośa-saṃjanana and Subtle Dharma
Treasury Formation and Fine-Grained Ethics
ऋद्धिमस्यानु तप्यन्ते पुरा विप्रकृता नरा: । शालावृका इवाजसंं जिघांसुमेव विन्दति,पहलेके तिरस्कृत हुए मनुष्य इस राजाकी बढ़ती हुई समृद्धिको देखकर जलते रहते हैं और अपने वधकी इच्छा रखनेवाले उस राजाका ही कपटपूर्वक आश्रय ले उसी तरह उसकी सेवा करते हैं, जैसे कुत्ते अपने घातक चाण्डालकी सेवामें रहते हैं
ṛddhim asyānu tapyante purā viprakṛtā narāḥ | śālāvṛkā ivājaśaṁ jighāṁsum eva vindati ||
Bhishma said: Men who were formerly slighted and wronged burn with envy when they see this king’s prosperity steadily increasing. Yet, with deceitful intent, they still seek the very king’s shelter and serve him—much as dogs remain in attendance upon a murderous outcaste, even though he is bent on killing them.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that envy can coexist with outward service: people who resent a ruler’s rising fortune may still cling to him for advantage, masking hostility with feigned loyalty. A king should discern motives and not mistake proximity or service for genuine goodwill.
In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and conduct, he describes a pattern at court: those previously humiliated become jealous of the king’s growing prosperity, yet they still approach and serve him deceitfully—likened to dogs staying with a killer—highlighting the danger of treacherous dependents.