मित्रादात्मवृद्धिं हि प्राप्नोति क्षयव्ययप्रवासपरोपकारानितरः ॥ कZ_०७.८.१८ ॥
mitrād ātmavṛddhiṃ hi prāpnoti kṣayavyaya-pravāsa-paropakārān itaraḥ
De un amigo, en verdad, se obtiene el propio progreso; en cambio el otro (es decir, el no amigo) trae ruina, gasto, exilio/desplazamiento y una «ayuda» que sirve a los intereses ajenos.
Alliances should be evaluated by measurable state-gain (power, revenue, security), not by sentiment; a friend is defined by net positive strategic outcomes.
As a bundle of strategic negatives: depletion (kṣaya), fiscal drain (vyaya), strategic displacement (pravāsa), and ‘assistance’ that primarily benefits others (paropakāra).