Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

स्वासु प्रकृतिषुच्छिद्रं लक्षयेरन्‌ परस्य च । मन्त्रिणां मन्त्रमूलं हि राज्ञो राष्ट्र विवर्धते,अपनी तथा शत्रुकी प्रकृतियोंमें जो दोष या दुर्बलता हो, उनपर मन्त्रियोंको दृष्टि रखनी चाहिये; क्योंकि मन्त्रियोंकी मन्त्रणा (उनकी दी हुई नेक सलाह) ही राजाके राष्ट्रकी जड़ है। उसीके आधारपर राज्यकी उन्नति होती है

Transliteration

svāsu prakṛtiṣu cchidraṃ lakṣayeran parasya ca | mantriṇāṃ mantramūlaṃ hi rājño rāṣṭraṃ vivardhate ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王の大臣たちは、自国の諸勢力のうちにある欠陥や弱み、また敵のうちにある欠陥や弱みを、怠りなく見張るべきである。なぜなら王国は、まさに“謀（マントラ）”という根から育ち栄えるからだ。大臣の熟議と善き助言こそ、国の進展を支える礎である。」

Word by Word

• {'svāsu': 'in one’s own

• among one’s own side', 'prakṛtiṣu': 'in the prakṛtis

• the constituent elements of a state (e.g., ministers, treasury, army, allies, territory/subjects)', 'cchidram': 'a flaw, weakness, vulnerability, breach', 'lakṣayeran': 'they should observe/mark, keep under notice', 'parasya': 'of the other

• of the enemy/opponent', 'ca': 'and', 'mantriṇām': 'of ministers

• counsellors', 'mantra': 'counsel, deliberation, strategic advice', 'mūlam': 'root, foundation', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'rājñaḥ': 'of the king', 'rāṣṭram': 'kingdom, realm, state', 'vivardhate': 'grows, flourishes, increases'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• ministers (mantriṇaḥ)
• kingdom/state (rāṣṭra)
• enemy/opponent (para)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A kingdom’s strength depends on intelligent counsel: ministers must continuously identify vulnerabilities in the state’s own constituents and in the enemy, because wise deliberation is the root from which the realm’s prosperity grows.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is advising the king on governance, emphasizing the strategic and ethical necessity of ministerial vigilance and sound counsel as the basis of state stability and growth.