Shloka 18
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
अत ऊर्ध्वममात्यानां परीक्षेत गुणागुणम् । संयतात्मा कृतप्रज्ञो भूतिकामश्न भूमिप:,इसके बाद मनको वशमें रखनेवाला शुद्धबुद्धि और ऐश्वर्यकामी भूपाल अपने मन्त्रियोंक गुण और अवगुणकी परीक्षा करे
ata ūrdhvam amātyānāṁ parīkṣeta guṇāguṇam | saṁyatātmā kṛtaprajño bhūtikāmaś ca bhūmipaḥ ||
ビーシュマは言った。「そののち王は、自制し、清らかで定まった知恵を備え、国の繁栄を願う者として、臣下を吟味し、その徳と過失を見分けるべきである。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must not appoint or rely on advisers blindly; he should, with self-mastery and clear judgment, test ministers for both virtues and faults. Ethical governance requires discernment in selecting counsel, because ministers strongly shape policy and the kingdom’s welfare.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on practical kingship. Here he turns to the topic of ministerial selection, urging systematic evaluation of advisers as a key step in securing prosperity and stability.