Shloka 25
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
आशीविषैश्व तस्याहुः संगतं यस्य राजभि: । बहुमित्राश्व॒ राजानो बह्नमित्रास्तथैव च
āśīviṣaiś ca tasyāhuḥ saṅgataṃ yasya rājabhiḥ | bahumitrāś ca rājāno bahunamitrās tathaiva ca ||
Bhishma berkata, “Orang bijak menyatakan bahwa siapa yang bergaul erat dengan para raja, seakan-akan ia bersekutu dengan ular berbisa. Raja-raja memiliki banyak sahabat, namun demikian pula banyak musuh. Karena itu, mereka yang hidup bergantung pada raja patut takut dari segala arah—bahkan sang raja sendiri dapat berulang kali menjadi sumber bahaya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Proximity to political power is inherently perilous: kings attract both allies and enemies, so those who depend on them for livelihood face danger from multiple directions, including from the king’s own changing favor.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhishma warns the listener (the king) about the risks of courtly association and royal dependence, using the metaphor of venomous serpents to stress the volatility of royal circles.