Shloka 6

Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)

Devanagari script

कुलीना देशजाः: प्राज्ञा रूपवन्तो बहुश्रुता: । प्रगल्भाश्चानुरक्ताश्न ते तव स्यु: परिच्छदा:,जो उत्तम कुल और अपने ही देशमें उत्पन्न हुए हों, बुद्धिमान, रूपवान्‌, बहुज्ञ, निर्भय और अनुरक्त हों, वे ही तुम्हारे परिच्छद (सेनापति आदि) होने चाहिये

Transliteration

kulīnā deśajāḥ prājñā rūpavanto bahuśrutāḥ | pragalbhāś cānuraktāś ca te tava syuḥ paricchadāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Que sean tus servidores y tu séquito —como comandantes y otros funcionarios principales— aquellos que sean de linaje noble y nacidos en tu propia tierra: sabios, de buen porte, versados en el saber, audaces y devotos a ti».

Word by Word

कुलीनाःof noble family

देशजाःnative-born (of the country)

प्राज्ञाःwise, intelligent

रूपवन्तःhandsome, possessing beauty

बहुश्रुताःwell-learned (having heard much)

प्रगल्भाःbold, confident

चand

अनुरक्ताःdevoted, attached

चand

तेthey

तवof you, your

स्युःshould be, may be

परिच्छदाःattendants, retinue (e.g., officers)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

paricchada (retinue/attendants, e.g., commanders)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should appoint close attendants and key officers (including military leaders) who combine noble character and social credibility (kulīna), local rootedness (deśaja), competence and learning (prājña, bahuśruta), courage (pragalbha), and loyal commitment (anurakta).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma lays down criteria for selecting the king’s inner circle and functionaries, emphasizing both capability and trustworthy loyalty as foundations of stable rule.