Shloka 51
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
राज्यं प्रणिधिमूलं हि मन्त्रसारं प्रचक्षते । स्वामिन त्वनुवर्तन्ते वृत्त्यर्थमिह मन्त्रिण:
rājyaṁ praṇidhimūlaṁ hi mantrasāraṁ pracakṣate | svāmin tv anuvartante vṛttyartham iha mantriṇaḥ ||
Bhishma said: “They declare that the essence of counsel in kingship rests upon vigilant oversight and careful supervision. For here, ministers follow their lord chiefly for the sake of livelihood.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective governance depends on vigilant oversight as the foundation of sound counsel, because ministers may align with the ruler from practical self-interest (livelihood) rather than pure loyalty; therefore a king must be discerning and monitor administration carefully.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the king on the realities of court politics: counsel (mantra) is only as reliable as the ruler’s supervision, since ministers often serve primarily to sustain their position and income.