Shloka 19
Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)
एकान्तेन हि सर्वेषां न शक््यं तात रोचितुम् । मित्रामित्रमथो मध्यं सर्वभूतेषु भारत
ekāntena hi sarveṣāṃ na śakyaṃ tāta rocitum | mitrāmitram atho madhyaṃ sarvabhūteṣu bhārata ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai anakku, tidak mungkin untuk menyenangkan semua orang secara mutlak. Wahai Bhārata, dalam kalangan semua makhluk ada yang menjadi sahabat, ada yang menjadi musuh, dan ada yang berkecuali.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches political and ethical realism: a ruler or moral agent cannot expect universal approval, because society naturally contains friends, enemies, and neutrals. Therefore one should act according to dharma and sound judgment rather than chasing unanimous praise.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance after the war. Here he frames a basic social truth—inevitable diversity of interests and attitudes among beings—to guide Yudhiṣṭhira’s expectations and decision-making.