Shloka 35
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
ये त्वादानपरा एव वसन्ति भवतो गृहे । अभूतिकामा भूतानां तादृशैमेंडभिसंहितम्
ye tv ādānaparā eva vasanti bhavato gṛhe | abhūtikāmā bhūtānāṃ tādṛśair meḍabhisaṃhitam ||
Bhishma berkata: Mereka yang hanya bernafsu mengambil—yang tinggal di dalam rumahmu sendiri sambil menjarah perbendaharaanmu—tidak sungguh menghendaki kesejahteraan dan kemakmuran rakyat. Orang-orang semacam itu, oleh tabiat dan tindak-tanduknya, telah menautkan permusuhan denganku.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that those who live close to power yet are driven by greed and appropriation undermine the welfare of the people; a ruler should recognize such internal predators and not mistake proximity for loyalty or public-spiritedness.
In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and dharma, he identifies a class of insiders who dwell in the ruler’s own household while exploiting his resources; he characterizes them as anti-welfare and notes that association with such people constitutes enmity toward him and toward righteous rule.