Shloka 28
अलुब्धान् शिक्षितान् दान्तान् धर्मेषु परिनिष्ठितान् । स्थापयेत् सर्वकार्येषु राजा धर्मार्थरक्षिण:,जो लोग कुल, स्वभाव और देशके धर्मको जानते हों, मधुरभाषी हों, युवावस्थामें जिनका जीवन निष्कलंक रहा हो, जो हितसाधनमें तत्पर और घबराहटसे रहित हों, जिनमें लोभका अभाव हो, जो शिक्षित, जितेन्द्रिय, धर्मनिष्ठ तथा धर्म एवं अर्थकी रक्षा करनेवाले हों, उन्हींको राजा अपने समस्त कार्योंमें लगावे
alubdhān śikṣitān dāntān dharmeṣu pariniṣṭhitān | sthāpayet sarvakāryeṣu rājā dharmārtharakṣiṇaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: A king should appoint to all affairs only those who are free from greed, properly trained, self-controlled, and firmly established in dharma—men who can safeguard both righteousness and material welfare. Such persons, steady and disciplined, become the king’s instruments for just governance rather than for private gain.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must entrust public responsibilities only to people who are non-greedy, educated, self-controlled, and firmly grounded in dharma, because such officials protect both moral order (dharma) and public welfare/prosperity (artha).
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises the king on statecraft—specifically, the ethical criteria for selecting and appointing persons to carry out the kingdom’s affairs.