Shloka 18
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
मित्रार्थमभिसंतप्तो भक््त्या सर्वात्मना55गत: । “आप मेरे मित्र हैं। मैं आपके ही हितके लिये आपके प्रति सम्पूर्ण हृदयसे भक्तिभाव रखकर यहाँ आया हूँ। आपकी जो हानि हो रही है, उसे देखकर मैं बहुत संतप्त हूँ ।।
mitrārtham abhisantapto bhaktyā sarvātmanā gataḥ | ayaṁ tavārtho hriyate yo brūyād akṣamānvitaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“为着友谊，我以全身全心的忠诚来到此处，见你受损，痛彻于怀。倘若一位朋友，眼见同伴将遭亏失而不能忍受，便为其福祉而急切前来，言辞或许强硬，直陈：‘大王，你的财物正被人掠走！’那么，一位明智而怀善意的君主——恒求长久的昌盛与进益者——当倾听这位有益之友，并宽恕其言辞间的峻厉。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should value frank counsel from a genuine well-wisher: when a friend speaks urgently or even harshly out of pain at the king’s loss, the king should hear the warning, accept the benefit, and forgive the manner of speech.
In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, he illustrates how a loyal friend approaches a king whose interests are being harmed, warning him that his wealth is being taken; the point is to show how the king ought to respond—by listening and pardoning the friend’s forceful words.