Shloka 8
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
कुलीनात् शीलसम्पन्नानिज्धितज्ञाननिष्ठुरान् । देशकालविधाननज्ञान् भर्त॒कार्यहितैषिण:
kulīnāt śīla-sampannān ijdhita-jñāna-niṣṭhurān | deśa-kāla-vidhāna-jñān bhartṛ-kārya-hitaiṣiṇaḥ ||
भीष्म बोले—नियुक्ति के लिए ऐसे जन चुनो जो कुलीन और शीलसम्पन्न हों; ज्ञान में दृढ़ हों और चित्त से दुर्बल न हों; देश-काल के अनुसार विधि-व्यवस्था को जानते हों; और स्वामी के कार्यों के हितैषी हों।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches criteria for selecting trusted aides: noble conduct and lineage, firmness grounded in knowledge, situational judgment (place–time propriety), and a sincere commitment to the master’s welfare rather than self-interest.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous rule and social order, Bhīṣma continues advising the king on practical dharma—here, describing the qualities desirable in those appointed to serve and manage a ruler’s affairs.