Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 17
Nīti-upadeśa to a Rājaputra: Self-restraint, Alliances, and Rival-Management (नीतिउपदेशः)
उद्यानानि महाहाणि शयनान्यासनानि च । प्रतिभोगसुखेनैव कोशमस्य विरेचय,बड़े-बड़े बगीचे लगवाकर, बहुमूल्य पलंग-बिछौने तथा भोग-विलासके अन्य साथनोंमें खर्च कराकर उसका सारा खजाना खाली करा दो
udyānāni mahāhāṇi śayanāny āsanāni ca | pratibhoga-sukhenaiva kośam asya virecaya ||
毗湿摩说道：“叫人营造广阔的享乐园林，备办昂贵的床榻与座具；只凭纵情享受与沉溺逸乐，便可将他的国库彻底耗空。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked indulgence and luxury can become a tool of ruin: pleasure-driven expenditure depletes wealth and undermines the stability needed for dharmic rule. It implicitly warns that governance requires restraint and vigilance against temptations that erode resources.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma is instructing on matters of governance and policy. Here he gives a tactical directive: arrange lavish amenities—gardens, beds, seats, and other enjoyments—so that the target becomes absorbed in pleasure and his treasury is emptied.