Shloka 14
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
शन्रुमित्रमुखो यश्व जिद्ठाप्रेक्षी विलोचन: । न विरज्यति कल्याणे यस्त्यजेत् तादृशं॑ नरम्
śatrūn mitramukho yaś ca jihvāprekṣī vilocanaḥ | na virajyati kalyāṇe yas tyajet tādṛśaṃ naram ||
بھیشم نے کہا—جو اندر سے دشمن ہو کر بھی باہر سے دوست کا چہرہ اوڑھے، جس کی زبان اور نگاہ ہمیشہ عیب ٹٹولتی رہے، اور جو دوسرے کی بھلائی پر خوش نہ ہو—ایسے آدمی کو چھوڑ دینا چاہیے۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that alliances and friendships must be grounded in dharma and trustworthy character. A person who pretends friendship while seeking faults and acting from greed, cruelty, deceit, and irreligion is dangerous; one should avoid making pacts with such people.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about whom to avoid in forming alliances (saṃdhi). This verse lists traits of people unfit for friendship or political agreement and transitions to describing those who are fit.