Shloka 4
Bhṛtya-niyoga: Role-appropriate appointment of servants and protection of the royal treasury (भृत्यनियोगः कोशरक्षणं च)
नापरीक्ष्य महीपाल: सचिवं कर्तुमर्हति । अकुलीननराकीर्णो न राजा सुखमेधते,राजा परीक्षा लिये बिना किसीको भी अपना मन्त्री न बनावे; क्योंकि नीच कुलके मनुष्यका साथ पाकर राजाको न तो सुख मिलता है और न उसकी उन्नति ही होती है
na parīkṣya mahīpālaḥ sacivaṃ kartum arhati | akulīnanarākīrṇo na rājā sukham edhate ||
Bhīṣma said: “A king should not appoint a minister without first testing him. When a ruler is surrounded by men of ignoble conduct and poor lineage, he neither attains happiness nor prospers; his governance declines through unworthy counsel.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must appoint ministers only after careful examination; unworthy or ill-qualified associates undermine a king’s happiness and prosperity by corrupting counsel and administration.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on principles of statecraft, emphasizing scrutiny and merit in choosing close advisers.