Shloka 2
Bhṛtya-niyoga: Role-appropriate appointment of servants and protection of the royal treasury (भृत्यनियोगः कोशरक्षणं च)
भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन्! इस प्रकार अपनी योनिमें आकर वह कुत्ता अत्यन्त दीनदशाको पहुँच गया। ऋषिने हुंकार करके उस पापीको तपोवनसे बाहर निकाल दिया ।। एवं राज्ञा मतिमता विदित्वा सत्यशौचताम् । आर्ज॑वं प्रकृति सत्यं श्रुतं वृत्तं कुलं दमम्,इसी प्रकार बुद्धिमान् राजाको चाहिये कि वह पहले अपने सेवकोंकी सच्चाई, शुद्धता, सरलता, स्वभाव, शास्त्रज्ञान, सदाचार, कुलीनता, जितेन्द्रियता, दया, बल, पराक्रम, प्रभाव, विनय तथा क्षमा आदिका पता लगाकर जो सेवक जिस कार्यके योग्य जान पड़ें, उन्हें उसीमें लगावे और उनकी रक्षाका पूरा-पूरा प्रबन्ध कर दे
bhīṣma uvāca—rājan! evaṁ svāṁ yonim āgamya sa śvā atyanta-dīna-daśāṁ gataḥ. ṛṣiṇā huṅkṛtya sa pāpī tapovanād bahiṣkṛtaḥ. evaṁ rājñā matimatā viditvā satya-śaucatām, ārjavaṁ prakṛtiṁ satyaṁ śrutaṁ vṛttaṁ kulaṁ damaṁ (dayāṁ balaṁ parākramaṁ prabhāvaṁ vinayaṁ kṣamāṁ ca), yathā-yogyaṁ sevakān karmasu niyojayet teṣāṁ ca rakṣāyāḥ samyak prabandhaṁ kuryāt.
Bhishma said: O King, thus, returning to its own birth, that dog fell into extreme misery. The sage, with a stern cry of “hūṃ”, drove that sinner out of the hermitage-grove. In the same way, a wise king should first ascertain in his servants truthfulness and purity, straightforwardness, natural disposition, fidelity, learning of sacred lore, good conduct, noble lineage, and self-control—along with compassion, strength, valor, influence, humility, and forbearance—and then assign each servant to the task for which he is fit, while making complete arrangements for their protection.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must evaluate the moral and practical qualities of servants—truthfulness, purity, straightforwardness, temperament, learning, conduct, lineage, self-control, compassion, strength, valor, influence, humility, and patience—and then assign duties according to fitness, while ensuring their protection through proper administrative arrangements.
Bhishma recalls an episode where a dog, returning to its former birth-state, becomes utterly miserable and is driven out of the hermitage by a sage’s stern cry; he then turns the incident into counsel for the king on discerning and appointing servants and safeguarding them.