Shloka 37
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
योडरिणा सह संधाय सुखं स्वपिति विश्वसन् | स वृक्षाग्रे प्रसुप्तो वा पतितः प्रतिबुद्धयते
yo 'riṇā saha sandhāya sukhaṁ svapiti viśvasan | sa vṛkṣāgre prasupto vā patitaḥ pratibudhyate ||
毗湿摩说道：与仇敌订立盟约后，仍安然酣睡、信赖于他的人，犹如在树梢上沉睡之人——唯有坠落之时方才惊醒。此教诲警戒人们切莫天真依赖怀敌意者：错置的信任招致祸患，而觉悟往往在受害之后才到来。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not become complacent after making peace with an enemy; trust without vigilance is dangerous. Like sleeping on a tree-branch, one may feel secure until the sudden fall—awareness often comes only after damage.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and policy, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira through a vivid simile: a person who relaxes and sleeps after a pact with an enemy is compared to someone asleep atop a tree who wakes only upon falling—i.e., only when crisis strikes.