Shloka 78
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
परिक्षीणाश्न लुब्धाश्न क्रुद्धा भीता: प्रतारिता: । हृतस्वा मानिनो ये च त्यक्तादाना महेप्सव:
parikṣīṇāś ca lubdhāś ca kruddhā bhītāḥ pratāritāḥ | hṛtasvā mānino ye ca tyaktadānā mahepsavaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：那些困敝衰竭、贪婪、愤怒、恐惧而又受人欺骗的臣仆；那些生计尽失、被夺去一切的人；那些自负矜高的人；那些被剥夺应得赏赐的人；以及渴求高位的人——此等之人若仍留用，往往会成为敌人的工具。故而君主当能洞察依附者心中的怨愤与未遂之野心，因为它们正是背叛与政局覆亡的种子。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should be vigilant about retainers whose inner state is marked by deprivation, humiliation, fear, anger, greed, deception, or frustrated ambition; such conditions often turn a dependent into a conduit for hostile forces. Sound governance requires not only rewarding merit but also preventing the buildup of resentment that leads to betrayal.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on raja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira about political dangers within one’s own establishment. This verse lists categories of discontented or destabilized servants and warns that they commonly end up serving an enemy’s interests.