Shloka 8
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
यदास्य तद्धरन्त्यन्ये तदा राजानमिच्छति । तदा तेषां स्पृहयते ये वै तुष्टा: स्वकैर्धनै:
yadāsya tad dharantyanye tadā rājānam icchati | tadā teṣāṃ spṛhayate ye vai tuṣṭāḥ svakair dhanaiḥ ||
Namun ketika orang lain merampas bahkan harta si pencuri itu, sang pencuri pun merindukan seorang raja—pelindung rakyat dan penghukum para pencuri—karena menyadari perlunya kewibawaan hukum. Dalam keadaan demikian, ia mulai iri dan ingin menjadi seperti mereka yang puas dengan harta sendiri dan memandang menyentuh milik orang lain sebagai dosa.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a wrongdoer comes to value righteous governance when he experiences insecurity; the verse highlights the necessity of the king’s protective and punitive role and upholds contentment with one’s own wealth as an ethical ideal.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and governance, he uses the example of a thief: once the thief is himself robbed, he desires a king who restrains crime and then envies those who live honestly, satisfied with their own possessions.