Shloka 42
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
गहनं भवतो राज्यमन्धकारं तमो<न्वितम् । नेह विश्वसिंतु शक््यं भवतापि कुतो मया,आपका यह राज्य गहन अन्धकारसे आच्छन्न और दु:खसे परिपूर्ण है। आप स्वयं भी इस राज्यपर विश्वास नहीं कर सकते; फिर मैं कैसे करूँगा
gahanaṁ bhavato rājyam andhakāraṁ tamo'nvitam | neha viśvasiṁtu śakyaṁ bhavatāpi kuto mayā ||
Bhishma berkata: “Kerajaan tuanku bagaikan rimba gelap yang dalam, diselubungi muram. Dalam keadaan demikian, tuanku sendiri pun tidak mampu menaruh kepercayaan pada negeri ini; maka bagaimana mungkin aku?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s legitimacy depends on clarity, justice, and moral order. When governance is clouded by ‘darkness’—confusion, suffering, and unethical conduct—trust collapses, and even the ruler cannot credibly rely on the system, much less others.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and statecraft, Bhishma addresses a king and characterizes his kingdom as engulfed in darkness, implying misrule or moral disorder. He uses this to justify his inability to place confidence in the kingdom’s condition or direction.