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 ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ບັນດາປັນຍາຊົນກ່າວວ່າ ຜູ້ໃດທີ່ເຂົ້າໄປຄົບຄ້າສະໜິດກັບກະສັດ ກໍເຫມືອນໄດ້ໄປຢູ່ຮ່ວມກັບງູພິດ. ກະສັດອາດມີມິດຫຼາຍ ແຕ່ກໍມີສັດຕູຫຼາຍເຊັ່ນກັນ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຜູ້ທີ່ດໍາລົງຊີວິດໂດຍພຶ່ງພາກະສັດ ຈຶ່ງຖືກກ່າວວ່າມີເຫດໃຫ້ຢ້ານກົວຈາກທຸກດ້ານ—ແມ່ນແຕ່ກະສັດເອງກໍອາດກາຍເປັນແຫຼ່ງອັນຕະລາຍຊໍ້າໆ»។
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.