Shloka 16
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
कृतघ्नश्लाधमो लोके न संधेय: कदाचन । छिद्रान्वेषी हसंधेय: संधेयानपि मे शूणु
bhīṣma uvāca | kṛtaghnaślādhamaḥ loke na sandheyaḥ kadācana | chidra-anveṣī ca asandheyaḥ | sandheyān api me śṛṇu ||
毗湿摩说道：“在这世间，忘恩负义、品性卑劣之人，任何时候都不可与之结盟。同样，那些专门搜寻他人过失、窥伺破绽的人，也不配结盟。现在听我说，哪些人才适合结为盟友。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches prudence in forming alliances: never trust or ally with the ungrateful or the fault-finder, because such people undermine relationships and will not uphold loyalty or reciprocity—key foundations of dharma in friendship and political pacts.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about whom one should avoid when making treaties or friendships, and he transitions here to describing the qualities of those who are worthy of alliance.