राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः
Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration
उच्चै: स्थाने घोररूपो नक्षत्राणामिव ग्रह: । भवेत् स तान् परिक्रामेत् सर्वानेव सभासद:
uccaiḥ sthāne ghorarūpo nakṣatrāṇām iva grahaḥ | bhavet sa tān parikrāmet sarvān eva sabhāsadaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Let there be an officer of formidable authority stationed in the highest place, like a dread planet set above the stars. Moving among all the members of the council, he should continually circulate near them and scrutinize their conduct and work.”
भीष्म उवाच
A king’s administration should include a high-ranking, formidable inspector who regularly circulates among officials and council members to examine their work, ensuring accountability and preventing negligence or corruption.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on rājadharma, he recommends an institutional mechanism of supervision: an officer placed at the top who moves among the sabhāsadas, like a powerful planet above the stars, to keep watch over their actions.