Shloka 1.7.17
अमात्य-गुणवर्णनम् (The Virtues of Daśaratha’s Ministers and the Order of Governance)
सन्धिविग्रहतत्त्वज्ञा: प्रकृत्या सम्पदान्विता: ।।1.7.16।।मन्त्रसंवरणे शक्ताश्श्लक्ष्णास्सूक्ष्मासु बुद्धिषु ।नीतिशास्त्रविशेषज्ञास्सततं प्रियवादिन: ।।1.7.17।।
sandhivigrahatattvajñāḥ prakṛtyā sampadānvitāḥ | mantrasaṃvaraṇe śaktāḥ ślakṣṇāḥ sūkṣmāsu buddhiṣu | nītiśāstraviśeṣajñāḥ satataṃ priyavādinaḥ ||
They understood the true principles of alliance and conflict; naturally prosperous, able to guard counsel in secrecy, refined and subtle in intelligence—masters of the science of polity—and ever pleasant in speech.
The ministers were inherently well aware of the real nature of peace or war. They were affluent, adept in keeping secrecy and sharp in comprehending the points (before making any decision). They were experts in the science of ethics and morality. They always spoke pleasing words.
Ethical governance requires both strategic competence (peace/war discernment) and moral discipline (secrecy, refined speech), ensuring power serves dharma rather than ego.
This verse repeats/overlaps the preceding description (as transmitted in this Southern Recension dataset), reinforcing the ideal ministerial profile.
Diplomatic wisdom joined with ethical communication—pleasant speech grounded in nīti.