Shloka 526
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
शीलं जिज्ञासमानेन राज्ञश्न सहजीविन: । मैं राजाके साथ रहनेवाले अधिकारियोंका शील-स्वभाव जानना चाहता था
śīlaṃ jijñāsamānena rājñaḥ saha-jīvinaḥ | mayā rājñā saha vartamānānām adhikāriṇāṃ śīla-svabhāvo jijñāsitaḥ, tasmāt sadā saśaṅkaḥ san mahā-sāvadhānena iha avasam | yathā sarpa-gṛhe vāsaḥ syāt, athavā śūra-vīrasya patnyāḥ gṛhe praviṣṭa iva |
Bhishma said: “Wishing to discern the character and disposition of those who live and serve alongside the king, I stayed here constantly on my guard, with great caution. It was like living in a house where a snake is present, or like one who has intruded into the home of a hero’s wife.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s environment can be morally and politically hazardous; therefore one must carefully assess the character (śīla) of those close to power and remain vigilant, acting with prudence rather than naïve trust.
Bhishma explains why he lived in the royal setting with constant caution: he was observing and testing the conduct of the king’s close associates/officials, comparing the danger of courtly proximity to living with a snake or committing a socially perilous intrusion.