Shloka 38
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
पूजन्युवाच नास्ति वैरमतिक्रान्तं सान्त्वितो5स्मीति नाश्वसेत् । विश्वासाद् वध्यते लोके तस्माच्छेयो5प्यदर्शनम्
pūjanī uvāca nāsti vairam atikrāntaṃ sāntvito ’smīti nāśvaset | viśvāsād vadhyate loke tasmāc chreyo ’py adarśanam ||
Pūjanī dit : «Ô roi, l’hostilité n’est pas réellement vaincue de cette manière. Qu’on ne se relâche pas en se disant : “Mon ennemi m’a apaisé”, et qu’on ne lui accorde pas sa confiance. En ce monde, on est tué pour avoir mal placé sa confiance ; aussi vaut-il mieux ne plus se montrer, demeurer hors de vue.»
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not assume enmity has ended merely because an opponent offers soothing words; misplaced trust in a hostile party can be fatal, so prudent distance and caution are ethically justified in matters of security.
A speaker (Pūjanī) addresses a king, warning him that an enemy’s conciliatory approach may be deceptive; she advises against trusting such reassurance and recommends avoiding exposure—staying out of the enemy’s reach.