Shloka 33
Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)
ऋजोर्मुदोर्वदान्यस्य ह्वीमत: सत्यवादिन: । नान्यो ज्ञातेरमहाबाहो विनाशमभिनन्दति,महाबाहो! जो सरल, कोमल स्वभाववाला, उदार, लज्जाशील और सत्यवादी है; ऐसे राजाके विनाशका समर्थन कुट॒म्बीके सिवा दूसरा नहीं कर सकता
ṛjor mudor vadānyasya hrīmataḥ satyavādinaḥ | nānyo jñāter mahābāho vināśam abhinandati ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai yang berlengan perkasa, bagi seorang raja yang lurus, berperangai lembut, pemurah, tahu malu, dan berkata benar—tiada siapa yang merestui kebinasaannya selain kerabatnya sendiri. Orang lain tidak bersukacita atas kehancuran seorang pemerintah yang berbudi demikian.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler endowed with honesty, gentleness, generosity, modesty, and truthfulness naturally earns goodwill; if anyone supports his downfall, it is most likely a jealous or self-interested relative. The verse warns that virtue does not eliminate political danger—especially from within one’s own kin.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about the realities of governance and human motives. Here he highlights how internal family rivalries can become the primary source of hostility even toward a righteous king.