Mahabharata 4.4.39 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 4, Shloka 39
Dhaumya’s Counsel on Incognito Conduct in a Royal Household (राजवसतौ आचरण-निति)
राजानं राजपुत्रं वा संवर्णयति य: सदा | अमात्य: पण्डितो भूत्वा स चिरं तिष्ठते प्रिय:
rājānaṃ rājaputraṃ vā saṃvarṇayati yaḥ sadā | amātyaḥ paṇḍito bhūtvā sa ciraṃ tiṣṭhate priyaḥ ||
Dhaumya sprach: „Der Minister, der als Weiser fortwährend den König—oder den Königssohn—preist, gilt als klug; und weil er dem Herrscher lieb bleibt, vermag er lange auszuharren und seine Stellung zu bewahren.“
धौग्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A minister who maintains the ruler’s goodwill through consistently favorable speech—praising the king or the prince—tends to be considered ‘wise’ in courtly terms and can retain influence and position for long. The verse highlights pragmatic political ethics: sustaining trust and harmony at court often determines longevity.
Dhaugya is offering a general observation about how royal courts function: the counsellor who regularly extols the ruler (or heir) becomes dear to them and therefore remains established for a long time. It serves as advice/characterization of ministerial conduct within the Virāṭa-parvan context.
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