Shloka 30
Vyavahāra-Śuddhi and Rājadharma: Clean Administration, Counsel, and Proportional Punishment
Chapter 86
धर्मशास्त्रार्थतत्त्वज्ञ: संधिविग्रहिको भवेत् । मतिमान् धृतिमान् ह्वीमान् रहस्यविनिगूहिता
dharmśāstrārthatattvajñaḥ sandhivigrahiko bhavet | matimān dhṛtimān hrīmān rahasyavinigūhitā ||
Bhishma bersabda: Seorang menteri dipandang terbaik bila ia sungguh memahami hakikat dan maksud Dharmaśāstra, mengetahui kapan berdamai dan kapan berperang, cerdas, teguh, tahu malu, serta mampu menyimpan rahasia. Panglima pun hendaknya memiliki kebajikan yang sama.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma defines the ideal adviser (and by extension the commander) as a person grounded in dharma, skilled in judging peace versus conflict, and marked by intelligence, firmness, modest self-restraint, and the ability to keep confidential counsel—ethical character and strategic discernment must go together.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance. Here he lists the essential qualifications of a minister and notes that a सेनापति (commander) should likewise embody these virtues, linking moral discipline with effective state leadership.