Shloka 6
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
लुब्ध: क्रूरस्त्यक्तरर्मा निकृति: शठ एव च | क्षुद्र पापसमाचार: सर्वशड्की तथालस:
lubdhaḥ krūraḥ tyaktadharmo nikṛtiḥ śaṭha eva ca | kṣudraḥ pāpasamācāraḥ sarvaśaṅkī tathālasaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“凡贪婪而残酷、弃舍达摩、诡诈而反复无常者；心胸狭隘、习于罪行、疑人无已、又懒惰者——皆不堪结盟。那总是搜寻他人过失的人，也同样不配订立盟约。如今我将说明哪些人适合结盟——且听。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that alliances (sandhi) should not be made with people whose character is dominated by greed, cruelty, abandonment of dharma, deceit, petty wickedness, chronic suspicion, and laziness—because such traits make them unreliable and dangerous partners.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about political prudence: first listing the types of persons to avoid in making pacts, and then transitioning to describe who is suitable for alliance.