Shloka 14
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
तथान्यानपि स प्राह राजकोशहरांस्तदा । न चास्य वचन किंचिदनृतं श्रूयते क्वचित्,इसी प्रकार मुनिने राजाके खजानेसे चोरी करनेवाले अन्य कर्मचारियोंसे भी कहा --तुमने चोरी की है। मेरे इस कौएकी कही हुई कोई भी बात कभी और कहीं भी झूठी नहीं सुनी गयी है”
tathānyān api sa prāha rājakośaharāṁs tadā | na cāsya vacanaṁ kiñcid anṛtaṁ śrūyate kvacit ||
तथान्यानपि स प्राह राजकोशहरांस्तदा। न चास्य वचनं किंचिदनृतं श्रूयते क्वचित्॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical power of an unimpeachable reputation for truth: when a speaker is known never to lie, their words carry moral authority in exposing wrongdoing and supporting justice.
Bhishma recounts that the speaker (in the story) similarly confronted other individuals who were stealing from the king’s treasury, accusing them directly; the narrative underscores that this crow’s statements were never known to be false.