Shloka 9
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
असत्यो लोकविद्धिष्ट: समये चानवस्थित: । पिशुनो5थाकृतप्रज्ञो मत्सरी पापनिश्चय:
bhīṣma uvāca | asatyo lokavidviṣṭaḥ samaye cānavasthitaḥ | piśuno ’thākṛtaprajño matsarī pāpaniścayaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“切莫与那虚妄不实、为世所憎、临事不可靠之人结盟——他好诽谤，缺乏正智，嫉妒成性，且执意趋向罪业。此人因贪与暴而弃舍达摩，诡诈而狭隘，疑心重重，懒惰拖延，狡曲可鄙；他逾越神圣界限，危难之际弃友而去，无耻而以罪眼观世；他不信正法，毁谤吠陀，放纵诸根，随心所欲而活。于是众人皆憎，他不守誓言，恶语中伤，甚至因一点点自以为是的过失便加害朋友；他结交只为私利，口称友谊而心怀敌意，转瞬便抛弃善意的同盟。他沉溺恶习，怨恨、暴怒、无慈、压迫，背叛朋友，乐于伤害众生，忘恩负义而卑下。与此等人，绝不可立约；与那总爱搜寻他人过失者亦然。如今我将说明适合结盟之人——且听。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that alliances (saṃdhi) must be grounded in trustworthiness and dharmic character. A pact with a deceitful, envious, cruel, and unreliable person is self-destructive, because such a person will abandon partners in crisis, exploit faults, and turn hostile even to benefactors.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about political prudence and ethical statecraft. Here he lists the traits of people with whom one should not make treaties or friendships, and then signals that he will next describe those who are fit for alliance.