Shloka 141
नास्ति मैत्री स्थिरा नाम न च ध्रुवमसौहृदम् । अर्थयुक्त्यानुजायन्ते मित्राणि रिपवस्तथा,“'मैत्री कोई स्थिर वस्तु नहीं है और शत्रुता भी सदा स्थिर रहनेवाली चीज नहीं है। स्वार्थके सम्बन्धसे मित्र और शत्रु होते रहते हैं
nāsti maitrī sthirā nāma na ca dhruvam asauhṛdam | arthayuktyā anujāyante mitrāṇi ripavas tathā ||
Bhīṣma said: “Friendship is not, in truth, something permanently fixed; nor is enmity unchanging. According to the calculations of advantage and interest, people come to be friends—and likewise, enemies.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that worldly friendship and hostility are often contingent, shaped by shifting interests and expedient calculations. Therefore one should not treat alliances as eternally reliable, but act with discernment, steadiness in dharma, and awareness of changing motives.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma is explaining principles of conduct and governance. Here he highlights the instability of political and social relationships, noting that friends and enemies frequently arise from considerations of advantage rather than enduring affection or hatred.