Shloka 11
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
ततः स काकमादाय राजान द्रष्टमागमत् | सर्वज्ञोडस्मीति वचन ब्रूवाण: संशितव्रत:
tataḥ sa kākam ādāya rājānaṃ draṣṭum āgamat | sarvajño ’smi iti vacanaṃ brūvāṇaḥ saṃśitavrataḥ |
Kemudian sang resi membawa gagak itu dan datang menghadap raja. Menjalankan tapa-brata yang teguh, ia menyatakan, “Aku mahatahu,” lalu mendekati penguasa—setelah menghimpun pengetahuan tentang berbagai pekerjaan di negeri itu dan menelusuri dari tempat ke tempat peristiwa penggelapan harta raja oleh para pejabat kerajaan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical inquiry into governance: a ruler must be vigilant about misappropriation by officials, and claims of superior knowledge (“I am omniscient”) should be tested against truth and used to uphold justice rather than to impress or dominate.
A vow-observing sage arrives to meet the king, bringing a crow. He declares himself omniscient and comes after learning about the kingdom’s occupations and discovering scattered reports of the king’s wealth being stolen by state employees—preparing to confront or advise the king.