Wisdom from the Mahabharat: Trust Is Based on Time and Place

byGaurav Yadav

In the Mahabharat, Yudhishthir asked Bhishma how to differentiate between friends and enemies during adverse times. Bhishma advised him that understanding the context of time and place is crucial before deciding whom to trust and whom to oppose. He explained that to save one’s life, forming an alliance with an enemy might sometimes be necessary. To illustrate his point, he shared a story.

Wisdom from the Mahabharat: Trust Is Based on Time and Place

In a forest there was a huge banyan tree. Many beings lived in its shelter. In the roots of the tree there was a hole and an immensely wise rat named Palit lived there. On the branches of the tree lived a cat named Lomash who survived by eating the birds living in the tree. Lomash had had his eyes o