पितृपैतामहं नित्यं वश्यमद्वैध्यं महल्लघुसमुत्थमिति मित्रसम्पत् ॥ कZ_०६.१.१२ ॥
pitṛpaitāmahaṃ nityaṃ vaśyam advaidhyaṃ mahallaghusamuttham iti mitrasampat
Aset (kekuatan) seorang sekutu adalah: (persekutuan) yang diwarisi dari ayah dan kakek (berlangsung lama), tetap, mudah dipengaruhi, tidak bermuka dua, serta timbul dari kekuatan besar maupun kekuatan kecil.
An ally is valuable when the relationship is long-standing, stable, influenceable, consistent (not double-minded), and can arise from either a major or minor power.
Because usefulness depends on reliability and alignment, not only size; even a smaller ally can be strategically significant if dependable and manageable.