Shloka 3
Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)
भीष्म उवाच चतुर्विधानि मित्राणि राज्ञां राजन् भवन्त्युत । सहार्थो भजमानश्न सहज: कृत्रिमस्तथा,भीष्मजीने कहा--राजन्! राजाके सहायक या मित्र चार प्रकारके होते हैं--१-सहार्थ २-भजमान ३-सहज और ४-कृत्रिम-
bhīṣma uvāca caturvidhāni mitrāṇi rājñāṃ rājan bhavanty uta | sahārtho bhajamānaś ca sahajaḥ kṛtrimas tathā ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Ô roi, les alliés et amis des rois sont de quatre sortes : le sahārtha, ami d’intérêt commun ; le bhajamāna, l’adhérent dévoué qui s’attache au service ; le sahaja, l’ami naturel né de la parenté ou d’un lien ancien ; et le kṛtrima, l’ami artificiel né d’un arrangement voulu. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that a king’s friendships are not all of one kind; they arise from shared interests, devoted following, natural bonds, or deliberate political construction. Sound governance requires discerning which type of friend one has, since each implies different motives and reliability.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma addresses the king and begins a classification of royal allies, listing four categories as a framework for evaluating relationships in politics and rule.