Shloka 41
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
अग्निना तामसं दुर्ग नौभिराप्यं च गम्यते । राजदुर्गावतरणे नोपायं पण्डिता विदु:
agninā tāmasaṃ durgaṃ naubhir āpyaṃ ca gamyate | rājadurgāvataraṇe nopāyaṃ paṇḍitā viduḥ ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ປ້ອມແຫ່ງຄວາມມືດ ພິຊິດໄດ້ດ້ວຍໄຟ; ປ້ອມນ້ຳ ຂ້າມໄດ້ດ້ວຍເຮືອ. ແຕ່ເມື່ອເຖິງການລົງຈາກ ຫຼືຫຼົບພົ້ນຈາກ ‘ປ້ອມ’ ແຫ່ງອຳນາດຂອງກະສັດ ແມ່ນແມ່ນແຕ່ນັກປັນຍາກໍບໍ່ຮູ້ວິທີທີ່ແນ່ນອນ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Natural obstacles have practical remedies (fire for darkness, boats for water), but political power—symbolized as the king’s fortress—can be inescapable; therefore one should act with great caution around rulers and the machinery of authority.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhishma uses vivid metaphors of different ‘forts’ to warn about the overwhelming, often unavoidable force of royal authority and the difficulty of finding a safe exit once entangled in it.