Shloka 5
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
प्रसन्नमप्रसन्नं वा पीडितं हतमेव वा । आवर्तयति भूयिष्ठं तदेव हुनुपालितम्
prasannam aprasannaṃ vā pīḍitaṃ hatam eva vā | āvartayati bhūyiṣṭhaṃ tad eva hūnupālitam ||
Bhishma said: “Whether the king is pleased or displeased, afflicted or even struck down, the one who repeatedly stands by him and follows his cause in every condition—steadfastly and without wavering—is truly fit to be called a well-wisher (suhṛd).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A true well-wisher is recognized by steadfast loyalty: remaining supportive not only in prosperity and royal favor, but also in displeasure, distress, and even defeat.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma and conduct, Bhishma defines the mark of a genuine ally of a king—one who continues to follow and stand by him through all changing circumstances.