Shloka 8
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
उन्होंने क्षेमदर्शीके सारे देशमें, उस राज्यका समाचार जाननेके लिये एक कौएको पिंजड़ेमें बाँधकर साथ ले बड़ी सावधानीके साथ बारंबार चक्कर लगाया ।।
adhīdhvaṁ vāyasīṁ vidyāṁ śaṁsanti mama vāyasāḥ | anāgatam atītaṁ ca yac ca samprati vartate ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເພື່ອຮູ້ຂ່າວຄາວຂອງລັດທັງປວງ ພວກເຂົາໄດ້ມັດນົກກາໄວ້ໃນກົງ ແລ້ວພາໄປວົນວຽນຢ່າງລະມັດລະວັງຫຼາຍ ຊ້ຳແລ້ວຊ້ຳອີກ. ໃນຂະນະທີ່ເດີນທາງ ພວກເຂົາກ່າວກັບຜູ້ຄົນວ່າ: ‘ໂອ ທ່ານຜູ້ດີທັງຫຼາຍ! ຈົ່ງຮຽນຈາກຂ້ອຍ ວາຍະສີ-ວິທະຍາ—ສິລະປະເຂົ້າໃຈພາສານົກກາ. ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຮຽນຮູ້ແລ້ວ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນນົກກາຈຶ່ງບອກຂ້ອຍໄດ້ທັງອະດີດ, ອະນາຄົດ, ແລະສິ່ງທີ່ກຳລັງເກີດຂຶ້ນໃນປັດຈຸບັນ’»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how claims of extraordinary knowledge (here, understanding crows) can be used to gain information and authority. Ethically, it invites reflection on rajadharma: prudent governance may require vigilance and intelligence, but public manipulation through deceptive spectacle risks undermining trust and dharmic integrity.
A group moves around repeatedly and carefully, publicly urging people to learn ‘crow-speech’ from them. They claim that because they know this art, crows reveal to them the past, the future, and the present—implying a method to collect news and assess the state of the realm while impressing or influencing the populace.