Shloka 21
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
कोकिलस्य वराहस्य मेरो: शून्यस्य वेश्मन: । नटस्य भक्तिमित्रस्य यच्छेयस्तत् समाचरेत्
kokilasya varāhasya meroḥ śūnyasya veśmanaḥ | naṭasya bhaktimitrasya yac chreyas tat samācaret ||
Bhīṣma dit : Du coucou, du sanglier, du mont Meru, d’une maison vide, d’un acteur et d’un ami dévoué—quelle que soit l’excellence propre à chacun, c’est cette qualité salutaire que le roi doit adopter et mettre en œuvre. L’enseignement presse le souverain d’apprendre avec discernement auprès de multiples sources et de ne cultiver que ce qui mène au vrai bien (śreyas).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should be discerning and adopt whatever is truly beneficial (śreyas) from diverse examples—taking virtues wherever they are found and applying them in governance.
In the Śānti Parva discourse on rājadharma, Bhīṣma instructs the king by listing varied models (bird, animal, cosmic mountain, an empty house, an actor, and a loyal friend) and advising him to emulate the best quality each represents.