Shloka 8
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
सर्वतः पापदर्शी च नास्तिको वेदनिन्दक: । सम्प्रकीर्णेन्द्रियो लोके यः काम॑ निरतश्चरेत्
sarvataḥ pāpadarśī ca nāstiko vedanindakaḥ | samprakīrṇendriyo loke yaḥ kāmaṃ nirataś caret ||
毗湿摩说道：“切莫与那目光四顾皆趋于罪恶之人结盟——他不信正法，诋毁吠陀；放纵诸根，随欲在世间游荡。此人无节制、无敬畏，交友不可信，立约更危险，故不配任何盟誓。同样，那总爱搜罗他人过失者，也不配结盟。如今我将说明适合结盟之人——且听。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that alliances (sandhi) must be grounded in character: a person ruled by desire, lacking restraint, and scorning moral/sacred authority is inherently unreliable and therefore unfit for any pact.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhīṣma is advising the listener on political and ethical prudence—first listing those unfit for alliance (here: the desire-driven, unrestrained, Veda-reviling nāstika), and then transitioning to describe who is fit for alliance.