Shloka 12
Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)
दूसरोंपर किया हुआ पूरा-पूरा विश्वास अकालमृत्युके समान है; क्योंकि अधिक विश्वास करनेवाला मनुष्य भारी विपत्तिमें पड़ जाता है। वह जिसपर विश्वास करता है, उसीकी इच्छापर उसका जीवन निर्भर होता है ।।
Bhīṣma uvāca: tasmād viśvasitavyaṃ ca śaṅkitavyaṃ ca keṣucit | eṣā nītigatis tāta lakṣyā caiva sanātanī ||
तस्माद् विश्वसितव्यं च शङ्कितव्यं च केषुचित्। एषा नीतिगतिस्तात, लक्ष्या चैव सनातनी॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that a ruler must balance trust with vigilance: rely on carefully chosen people, yet remain cautious, because unguarded trust can lead to ruin.
In the Shanti Parva, after the war, Yudhiṣṭhira seeks instruction on kingship and conduct; Bhishma, lying on his bed of arrows, gives counsel on statecraft—here, warning about the dangers of excessive trust and urging prudent oversight.