Shloka 14
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
तथान्यानपि स प्राह राजकोशहरांस्तदा । न चास्य वचन किंचिदनृतं श्रूयते क्वचित्
tathānyān api sa prāha rājakośaharāṁs tadā | na cāsya vacanaṁ kiñcid anṛtaṁ śrūyate kvacit ||
毗湿摩言：“同样地，当时他又对那些侵盗王家国库的其他人说道：‘你们也偷了。’而这乌鸦所言，从未有一语被听闻为虚妄——无论何时何地皆然。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical power of an unimpeachable reputation for truth: when a speaker is known never to lie, their words carry moral authority in exposing wrongdoing and supporting justice.
Bhishma recounts that the speaker (in the story) similarly confronted other individuals who were stealing from the king’s treasury, accusing them directly; the narrative underscores that this crow’s statements were never known to be false.