Shloka 16
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
कृतघ्नश्लाधमो लोके न संधेय: कदाचन । छिद्रान्वेषी हसंधेय: संधेयानपि मे शूणु
bhīṣma uvāca | kṛtaghnaślādhamaḥ loke na sandheyaḥ kadācana | chidra-anveṣī ca asandheyaḥ | sandheyān api me śṛṇu ||
भीष्म म्हणाले— या लोकी जो मनुष्य कृतघ्न व अत्यंत नीच स्वभावाचा आहे, त्याच्याशी कधीही संधी करू नये. जो नेहमी दुसऱ्यांचे दोष-छिद्र शोधतो, तोही संधीस योग्य नाही. आता संधीस योग्य पुरुषांविषयी माझ्याकडून ऐक.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches prudence in forming alliances: never trust or ally with the ungrateful or the fault-finder, because such people undermine relationships and will not uphold loyalty or reciprocity—key foundations of dharma in friendship and political pacts.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about whom one should avoid when making treaties or friendships, and he transitions here to describing the qualities of those who are worthy of alliance.