Shloka 24
Bhṛtya-niyoga: Role-appropriate appointment of servants and protection of the royal treasury (भृत्यनियोगः कोशरक्षणं च)
अन्वेष्टव्या: सुपुरुषा: सहाया राज्यधारणे । न विमानयिततव्यास्ते राज्ञा वृद्धिमभीप्सता
anveṣṭavyāḥ supuruṣāḥ sahāyā rājyadhāraṇe | na vimānayitavyās te rājñā vṛddhim abhīpsatā ||
Bhishma dit : « Pour soutenir le royaume, le souverain doit rechercher des hommes d’excellence comme alliés. Le roi qui désire la croissance et la prospérité de son domaine ne doit jamais rabaisser ceux qui le soutiennent. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s prosperity depends on recruiting capable, virtuous supporters and treating them with respect; contempt for one’s own allies undermines the stability and growth of the kingdom.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises the ruler on practical ethics of governance—specifically, to search for excellent men to help bear the burden of rule and to avoid humiliating those who protect and support the state.