Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

मन्त्रगूढा हि राज्यस्य मन्त्रिणो ये मनीषिण: । मन्त्रसंहननो राजा मन्त्राज्ञानीतरे जना:

Transliteration

mantragūḍhā hi rājyasya mantriṇo ye manīṣiṇaḥ | mantrasaṃhananaḥ rājā mantrājñānītare janāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : Les ministres sages tiennent soigneusement cachée la délibération de l’État. Car le conseil est l’armure protectrice et la force de cohésion du roi ; les autres—membres et serviteurs—ne sont que les membres et les instruments de la délibération, non ses véritables connaisseurs.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रगूढाः: keeping counsel/secret (lit. mantra-hidden)
• मन्त्रगूढाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्रगूढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• राज्यस्य: of the kingdom/state
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मन्त्रिणः: ministers/counsellors
• मन्त्रिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मनीषिणः: wise men
• मनीषिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मन्त्रसंहननः: the consolidator/embodiment of counsel (lit. mantra-compactness)
• मन्त्रसंहननः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रसंहनन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मन्त्राज्ञानी: one who knows counsel/strategy
• मन्त्राज्ञानी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्राज्ञानी
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इतरे: others
• इतरे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जनाः: people/persons
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• ministers (mantriṇaḥ)