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 ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Kaya dapat magtiwala lamang sa ilang piling tao—ngunit kahit sa kanila ay manatiling mapagmatyag at maingat. Mahal kong anak, ito ang walang hanggang landas ng etika sa pamamahala, at dapat laging isaisip.”
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.