Shloka 5
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
केषु विश्वसितव्यं स्याद् राज्ञा कस्याज्चिदापदि । कुतो वा5>त्मा दृढं रक्ष्यस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
keṣu viśvasitavyaṃ syād rājñā kasyāś cid āpadi | kuto vātmā dṛḍhaṃ rakṣyas tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Grand-père, lorsqu’un malheur s’abat sur un roi, en qui doit-il placer sa confiance ? Et de qui doit-il protéger le plus fermement sa propre personne ? Dis-le-moi.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a key rājadharma problem: in times of danger, a ruler must discern reliable allies and identify potential threats, balancing trust with prudent self-protection.
Vaiśampāyana introduces a question addressed to Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma), asking for guidance on whom a king should trust during calamity and from whom he should guard his own person.