Shloka 14
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
शन्रुमित्रमुखो यश्व जिद्ठाप्रेक्षी विलोचन: । न विरज्यति कल्याणे यस्त्यजेत् तादृशं॑ नरम्,जो लोभी, क्रूर, धर्मत्यागी, कपटी, शठ, क्षुद्र, पापाचारी, सबपर संदेह करनेवाला, आलसी, दीर्घसूत्री, कुटिल, निन्दित, गुरुपत्नीगामी, संकटके समय साथ छोड़कर चल देनेवाला, दुरात्मा, निर्लज्ज, सब ओर पापपूर्ण दृष्टि डालनेवाला, नास्तिक, वेदोंकी निनन््दा करनेवाला, इन्द्रियोंको खुला छोड़कर जगत्में इच्छानुसार विचरनेवाला, झूठा, सबके द्वेषका पात्र, अपनी प्रतिज्ञापर स्थिर न रहनेवाला, चुगलखोर, अपवित्र बुद्धिवाला, ईर्ष्यालु, पापपूर्ण विचार रखनेवाला, दुष्ट स्वभाववाला, मनको वशमें न रखनेवाला, नृशंस, धूर्त, मित्रोंकी बुराई करनेवाला, सदा दूसरोंका धन लेनेकी इच्छा रखनेवाला, यथाशक्ति देनेवालेपर भी संतुष्ट न रहनेवाला, मन्दबुद्धि, मित्रको भी सदा धैर्यसे विचलित करनेवाला, असावधान, बेमौके क्रोध करनेवाला, अकस्मात् विरोधी होकर कल्याणकारी सुहृदोंको भी शीघ्र ही त्याग देनेवाला, अनजानमें थोड़ा-सा भी अपराध बन जानेपर मित्रका अनिष्ट करनेवाला, पापी, अपना काम बनानेके लिये ही मित्रोंस मेल रखनेवाला, वास्तवमें मित्रद्वेषी, मुखसे मित्रताकी बातें करके भीतरसे शत्रुभाव रखनेवाला, कुटिल दृष्टिसे देखनेवाला, विपरीतदर्शी, भलाईसे कभी पीछे न हटनेवाले मित्रको भी त्याग देनेवाला, शराबी, द्वेषी, क्रोधी, निर्दयी, क्रूर, दूसरोंको सतानेवाला, मित्रद्रोही, प्राणियोंकी हिंसामें तत्पर रहनेवाला, कृतघ्न तथा नीच हो, संसारमें ऐसे मनुष्यके साथ कभी संधि नहीं करनी चाहिये। जो दूसरोंका छिद्र खोजता हो, वह भी संधि करनेके योग्य नहीं है। अब संधि करनेके योग्य पुरुषोंको बता रहा हूँ, सुनो
śatrūn mitramukho yaś ca jihvāprekṣī vilocanaḥ | na virajyati kalyāṇe yas tyajet tādṛśaṃ naram ||
Bhishma said: One who wears the face of a friend while being an enemy within—whose eyes and tongue are ever watchful for faults—does not truly delight in another’s welfare. Such a man should be abandoned. Indeed, one should never enter into alliance with a person who is greedy, cruel, a renouncer of dharma, deceitful, hypocritical, petty-minded, sinful in conduct, suspicious of all, lazy, procrastinating, crooked, blameworthy, an adulterer with the teacher’s wife, one who deserts in times of crisis, wicked, shameless, of sin-stained vision, an unbeliever, a reviler of the Vedas, one who lets the senses roam at will, a liar, hated by all, unsteady in vows, a slanderer, impure in intellect, envious, of sinful thoughts and vicious nature, uncontrolled in mind, ruthless, crafty, a backbiter of friends, ever coveting others’ wealth, never satisfied even when given according to one’s capacity, dull-witted, one who constantly unsettles a friend’s patience, careless, prone to untimely anger, one who suddenly turns hostile and quickly abandons even beneficent well-wishers, one who harms a friend over even a slight unintended offense, a sinner who keeps friendships only for advantage, a true hater of friends who speaks of friendship while harboring enmity, one who looks with crooked and perverse vision, one who abandons even a steadfast benefactor, a drunkard, hateful, wrathful, merciless, oppressive, a betrayer of friends, intent on harming living beings, ungrateful, and base. One should also not ally with a person who hunts for others’ flaws. Now I shall describe those fit for alliance—listen.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that alliances and friendships must be grounded in dharma and trustworthy character. A person who pretends friendship while seeking faults and acting from greed, cruelty, deceit, and irreligion is dangerous; one should avoid making pacts with such people.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about whom to avoid in forming alliances (saṃdhi). This verse lists traits of people unfit for friendship or political agreement and transitions to describing those who are fit.