Shloka 7
Śānti Parva 116: Criteria for Royal Servants and Administrative Competence (भृत्य-गुण-प्रश्नः / राजसेवक-लक्षणम्)
तस्य भृत्या विगुणतां यान्ति सर्वे कुलोद्वता: । न च भृत्यफलैरर्थ: स राजा सम्प्रयुज्यते
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
tasya bhṛtyā viguṇatāṁ yānti sarve kulodbhavāḥ |
na ca bhṛtyaphalair arthaḥ sa rājā samprayujyate ||
ຢຸທິສຖິຣ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຂ້າລາຊການທັງຫມົດຂອງກະສັດນັ້ນ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຜູ້ເກີດໃນຕະກູນສູງ ກໍຕົກໄປສູ່ຄຸນນະລັກສະນະຊົ່ວ. ແລະກະສັດນັ້ນກໍບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບປະໂຫຍດຈາກ “ຜົນຂອງການມີຂ້າລາຊການ” ເລີຍ—ເຊັ່ນ ການເພີ່ມພູນຊັບສິນ ແລະການບໍລິຫານທີ່ເປັນລະບຽບ».
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s personal lack of virtue and self-discipline spreads downward: even well-born attendants become morally degraded, and the king loses the practical benefits of a loyal, capable retinue—prosperity, order, and effective governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of rājadharma, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on how a king’s character shapes his household and administration, stating that when the king is flawed, his servants also become flawed and the king fails to gain the expected advantages from employing them.