Shloka 51
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
त्वया चैव कृता राजन् भवता परिपालिता: । भवन्तमभिसंधाय जिधघांसन्ति भवत्प्रियम्
tvayā caiva kṛtā rājan bhavatā paripālitāḥ | bhavantam abhisandhāya jighāṃsanti bhavat-priyam, nareśvara ||
Bhishma said: “O King, those very men whom you yourself appointed and maintained now harbor deceit toward you; fixing their aim upon you, they seek to destroy what is dear to you. O lord of men, this is the bitter fruit of trust misplaced—when dependents, raised by royal favor, turn their cunning against the benefactor and strike at his welfare.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must exercise discernment in appointing and sustaining officials: patronage without vigilance can empower the unworthy, who may later act with deceit and harm the king’s dearest interests. Rajadharma requires both generosity and careful scrutiny of character and loyalty.
Bhishma warns the king that the very people he elevated and supported are now plotting against him. They have set their intention on the king and aim to ruin what he values most, illustrating the danger of internal betrayal within the royal household or administration.