Shloka 26
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
तेभ्य: सर्वेभ्य एवाहुर्भयं राजोपजीविनाम् । तथैषां राजतो राजन् मुहूतदिव भीर्भवेत्
tebhyaḥ sarvebhya evāhur bhayaṁ rājopajīvinām | tathaivaiṣāṁ rājato rājan muhūrtād iva bhīr bhavet ||
毗湿摩说：凡以依附君王而谋生者，据说四面皆有可惧之患。大王啊，他们甚至对君王本人也常怀惶惧，几乎时时刻刻皆然。其伦理之旨在于：亲近王权固能得庇护与恩宠，却也招致遍在的不安；因为王座周围充斥诸多利害、争竞与君心骤变。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dependence on royal power is inherently risky: those who live by serving or relying on a king face fear from many quarters, and even the king’s own changing will can become a continual source of danger.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma warns the listener-king that royal dependents (courtiers, servants, those seeking livelihood through the court) are exposed to widespread hostility and instability, including sudden peril originating from the king himself.