Shloka 25
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
आशीविषैश्व तस्याहुः संगतं यस्य राजभि: । बहुमित्राश्व॒ राजानो बह्नमित्रास्तथैव च
āśīviṣaiś ca tasyāhuḥ saṅgataṃ yasya rājabhiḥ | bahumitrāś ca rājāno bahunamitrās tathaiva ca ||
毗湿摩说：“智者宣称：与诸王亲近者，犹如与毒蛇为伍。君王或有众多友人，亦同样有众多仇敌。故而，凡依王而生者，被说有理由四面皆惧——甚至君王自身，也可能屡屡成为危险之源。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Proximity to political power is inherently perilous: kings attract both allies and enemies, so those who depend on them for livelihood face danger from multiple directions, including from the king’s own changing favor.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhishma warns the listener (the king) about the risks of courtly association and royal dependence, using the metaphor of venomous serpents to stress the volatility of royal circles.