Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)
तथैवात्युदकाद् भीतस्तस्य भेदनमिच्छति । यमेवंलक्षणं विद्यात् तममित्र विनिर्दिशेत्
tathaivātyudakād bhītastasya bhedanam icchati | yam evaṃlakṣaṇaṃ vidyāt tam amitraṃ vinirdiśet ||
ସେହିପରି, ନିଜ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ଅତ୍ୟଧିକ ଜଳ ଜମି ଭୟଭୀତ ହୋଇ ତାହା ବାହାର କରିବା ପାଇଁ ମେଡ଼/ବନ୍ଧ ଭାଙ୍ଗିବାକୁ ଚାହେ—ଯାହାରେ ଏପରି ଲକ୍ଷଣ ଦେଖାଯାଏ, ତାକୁ ଶତ୍ରୁ ବୋଲି ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶ କର; କାରଣ ଯେ ରାଜ୍ୟସୀମାର ରକ୍ଷକ, ସେ ଯଦି ସୀମା ଭାଙ୍ଗେ, ରାଜ୍ୟ ଉପରେ ବିପଦ ଆସିପାରେ।
भीष्म उवाच
A person entrusted with protecting boundaries or safeguards becomes especially dangerous if he himself breaches them; betrayal by a guardian is a clear sign of enmity and must be treated as a security threat.
Bhishma uses a practical agrarian analogy: when a field floods, a frightened farmer may want to break the embankment to release water. He applies this to governance—if a kingdom’s boundary-keeper breaks the boundary, it invites peril, so such a person should be identified as an enemy.