Shloka 33
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
ददात्यस्मद्विधो<मात्यो बुद्धिसाहाय्यमापदि । वायसस्त्वेष मे राजन् ननु कार्याभिसंहित:
dadāty asmad-vidho ’mātyo buddhi-sāhāyyam āpadi | vāyasas tv eṣa me rājan nanu kāryābhisaṁhitaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Seorang menteri sepertiku menolong pada masa bencana dengan nasihat dan kejernihan budi. Wahai Raja, bahkan gagak milikku ini pun sungguh terlibat dalam mengusahakan maksudmu—namun ia telah dibunuh; boleh jadi nasib serupa menantiku pula.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In crisis, a ruler’s strength depends on wise counsel: a true minister supports the king with intelligence and strategy, and loyalty to the king’s purpose may demand personal risk.
Bhishma speaks to the king, emphasizing his role as a counselor in times of danger. He points to his crow—previously involved in the king’s work—now killed, using it as an ominous sign and a reflection on his own possible fate.