Shloka 57
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
आरुह्ा वा वेश्म तथैव शून्यं स्थलं प्रकाशं कुशकाशहीनम् । वागड्जदोषान् परिहृत्य सर्वान् सम्मन्त्रयेत् कार्यमहीनकालम्
āruhya vā veśma tathaiva śūnyaṁ sthalaṁ prakāśaṁ kuśa-kāśa-hīnam | vāg-aṅga-doṣān parihṛtya sarvān sammantrayeta kāryam ahīna-kālam ||
Bhishma said: “Either having gone up to an upper chamber, or else sitting in a deserted, open, level place free from kuśa and kāśa grass, one should set aside every fault of speech and bodily conduct and then, at a proper and undiminished time, deliberate in secrecy about the task that lies ahead.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Before making plans, one should choose a suitable secluded setting, restrain faults of speech and bodily behavior, and deliberate confidentially at the right time—emphasizing self-discipline, discretion, and timely decision-making.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on principles of prudent governance and conduct; here he gives practical guidance on how and where confidential consultation about future actions should be carried out.