Śānti Parva 116: Criteria for Royal Servants and Administrative Competence (भृत्य-गुण-प्रश्नः / राजसेवक-लक्षणम्)
यो हासत्प्रग्रहरति: स्नेहरागबलात्कृत: । इन्द्रियाणामनीशत्वादसज्जनबु भूषक:
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: yo hāsatpragraharatiḥ sneharāgabalāt kṛtaḥ | indriyāṇām anīśatvād asajjanabubhūṣakaḥ ||
ຢຸທິສຖິຣ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ກະສັດຜູ້ຫຼົງໃຫຼ້ໃນການສະສົມສິ່ງທີ່ບໍ່ຄວນ ຖືກພາໄປໂດຍພະລັງແຫ່ງຄວາມຮັກແລະຕັນຫາ ແລະເນື່ອງຈາກບໍ່ອາດຄວບຄຸມອິນຊີໄດ້ ຈຶ່ງບໍ່ແມ່ນແຕ່ຈະພະຍາຍາມເປັນຄົນດີ—ແມ່ນແຕ່ຂ້າລາຊການທີ່ເກີດໃນຕະກູນດີທີ່ຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະອົງ ກໍກັບກາຍເປັນຜູ້ມີຄຸນນະລັກສະນະຕົກຕ່ຳຕົງກັນຂ້າມ. ໃນສະພາບນັ້ນ ກະສັດຍ່ອມຖືກຕັດຂາດຈາກຜົນປະໂຫຍດທີ່ເກີດຈາກການມີຂ້າລາຊການ—ເຊັ່ນ ການເພີ່ມພູນຊັບສິນ ແລະການບໍລິຫານອານາຈັກໃຫ້ເປັນລະບຽບ».
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
A ruler’s lack of self-control and attachment to unworthy acquisitions corrupts the moral quality of his household and administration; therefore, mastery of the senses and aspiration toward goodness are essential for effective and prosperous governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a principle of political ethics: when a king is driven by craving and cannot restrain his senses, even well-born servants become perverted in conduct, and the king loses the practical benefits of maintaining a competent, loyal retinue.