Shloka 20
Nīti-upadeśa to a Rājaputra: Self-restraint, Alliances, and Rival-Management (नीतिउपदेशः)
कोशक्षये त्वमित्राणां वशं कौसल्य गच्छति । उभयत्र प्रयुक्तस्य धर्मेणाधर्म एव च
kośakṣaye tv amitrāṇāṁ vaśaṁ kauśalya gacchati | ubhayatra prayuktasya dharmeṇādharm eva ca |
Wahai Kaushalya, bila perbendaharaan terkuras, seorang raja niscaya jatuh ke dalam kuasa musuh-musuhnya. Penguasa yang terus-menerus bergerak di dua sisi—kadang dalam dharma, kadang dalam adharma—pasti menghabiskan hartanya; dan ketika peti-peti kosong, runtuhlah kemandiriannya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s strength rests on a well-maintained treasury; reckless conduct—whether justified as dharma or driven by adharma—can drain resources, and once the treasury is depleted the ruler loses autonomy and becomes subject to enemies.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises a Kosala ruler (addressed as Kauśalya) about practical governance: financial depletion leads directly to political vulnerability and enemy domination.