Shloka 17
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
क्षत्रियेषु न विश्वास: कार्य: सर्वापकारिषु । अपकृत्यापि सतत सान्त्वयन्ति निरर्थकम्
kṣatriyeṣu na viśvāsaḥ kāryaḥ sarvāpakāriṣu | apakṛtyāpi satataṃ sāntvayanti nirarthakam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Il ne faut pas accorder sa confiance aux kṣatriya portés à nuire de toutes les manières. Même après avoir commis un tort, ils prodiguent sans cesse des paroles d’apaisement—un réconfort qui, en vérité, n’est que vide et sans dessein.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma warns that trust should be withheld from those whose nature is to harm; soothing words offered after wrongdoing can be strategic and empty, so ethical discernment must outweigh pleasant speech.
In the instruction-filled Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues advising on conduct and statecraft, cautioning the listener against relying on warrior-rulers who injure others and then attempt to pacify them with futile consolations.