Shloka 20
Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)
व्यसनान्नित्यभीतो यः समृद्धया यो न दुष्यति । यत् स्यादेवंविध॑ मित्र तदात्मसममुच्यते
vyasanān nityabhīto yaḥ samṛddhyā yo na duṣyati | yat syād evaṃvidhaṃ mitra tad ātmasamam ucyate ||
Bhīṣma dit : L’ami qui craint sans cesse les malheurs susceptibles de t’atteindre, et qui ne se laisse pas souiller par l’envie lorsque tu prospères, un tel ami est déclaré égal à soi-même.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A true friend is defined by two tests: sincere concern for your potential suffering and freedom from jealousy at your success. Such steadiness of goodwill makes the friend ‘like one’s own self’ (ātmasama).
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he characterizes the marks of an ideal friend, emphasizing loyalty in adversity and purity of heart in times of prosperity.