Shloka 11
Vyavahāra-Śuddhi and Rājadharma: Clean Administration, Counsel, and Proportional Punishment
Chapter 86
वर्जित चैव व्यसनै: सुघोरै: सप्तभिर्भुशम् अष्टानां मन्त्रिणां मध्ये मन्त्र राजोपधारयेत्
varjitaś caiva vyasanaiḥ sughoraiḥ saptabhir bhuśam | aṣṭānāṃ mantriṇāṃ madhye mantraṃ rājopadhārayet ||
Bhishma berkata: “Raja harus benar-benar menjauhi tujuh kebiasaan buruk yang paling mengerikan. Setelah itu, di tengah delapan menteri, hendaklah ia bermusyawarah secara rahasia.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s counsel is trustworthy only when grounded in personal discipline: the king must be far from destructive vices and should conduct sensitive deliberations privately with a vetted council of ministers.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on royal duty, Bhishma advises the king on proper governance: avoid ruinous habits and consult discreetly within a small, reliable circle of eight ministers.