Shloka 6
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
लुब्ध: क्रूरस्त्यक्तरर्मा निकृति: शठ एव च | क्षुद्र पापसमाचार: सर्वशड्की तथालस:
lubdhaḥ krūraḥ tyaktadharmo nikṛtiḥ śaṭha eva ca | kṣudraḥ pāpasamācāraḥ sarvaśaṅkī tathālasaḥ ||
Bhishma disse: “Aquele que é ganancioso e cruel, que abandonou o dharma, enganador e traiçoeiro; de espírito mesquinho, habituado à conduta pecaminosa, desconfiado de todos e preguiçoso—tal homem é impróprio para aliança. Do mesmo modo, quem vive a procurar as faltas alheias não é digno de firmar pacto. Agora descreverei os que são aptos para a aliança; ouvi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that alliances (sandhi) should not be made with people whose character is dominated by greed, cruelty, abandonment of dharma, deceit, petty wickedness, chronic suspicion, and laziness—because such traits make them unreliable and dangerous partners.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about political prudence: first listing the types of persons to avoid in making pacts, and then transitioning to describe who is suitable for alliance.