Shloka 33
Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)
ऋजोर्मुदोर्वदान्यस्य ह्वीमत: सत्यवादिन: । नान्यो ज्ञातेरमहाबाहो विनाशमभिनन्दति
ṛjor mudor vadānyasya hrīmataḥ satyavādinaḥ | nānyo jñāter mahābāho vināśam abhinandati ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô toi aux bras puissants, pour un roi droit, d’humeur douce, généreux, pudique (doué du sens de la honte) et véridique, nul n’approuve sa ruine sinon un parent. Les autres ne se réjouissent pas de la destruction d’un souverain aussi vertueux.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler endowed with honesty, gentleness, generosity, modesty, and truthfulness naturally earns goodwill; if anyone supports his downfall, it is most likely a jealous or self-interested relative. The verse warns that virtue does not eliminate political danger—especially from within one’s own kin.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about the realities of governance and human motives. Here he highlights how internal family rivalries can become the primary source of hostility even toward a righteous king.