Shloka 27
Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)
यो न कामाद् भयाल्लोभात् क्रोधाद् वा धर्ममुत्सूजेत् । दक्ष: पर्याप्तवचन: स ते स्यात् प्रत्यनन्तर:
yo na kāmād bhayāl lobhāt krodhād vā dharmam utsṛjet | dakṣaḥ paryāptavacanaḥ sa te syāt pratyanantaraḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Celui qui n’abandonne pas le dharma sous la pression du désir, de la peur, de l’avidité ou de la colère, qui est capable dans l’action et dont la parole est mesurée, suffisante et dite à propos — un tel homme doit être ton proche serviteur et ton ministre principal.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should choose a chief aide/minister who remains steadfast in dharma even when provoked by desire, fear, greed, or anger, and who is both practically competent and disciplined in speech.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethical rule, Bhīṣma lays down criteria for selecting a close attendant or principal minister, emphasizing moral steadiness and administrative competence.