Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
मन्त्रगूढा हि राज्यस्य मन्त्रिणो ये मनीषिण: । मन्त्रसंहननो राजा मन्त्राज्ञानीतरे जना:
mantragūḍhā hi rājyasya mantriṇo ye manīṣiṇaḥ | mantrasaṃhananaḥ rājā mantrājñānītare janāḥ ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ມະນຕີຜູ້ມີປັນຍາຈະເກັບຮັກສາຄໍາປຶກສາລັບຂອງລັດໃຫ້ມິດຊິດ. ເພາະ “ມັນຕຣະ” ແມ່ນເກາະປ້ອງກັນແລະພະລັງທີ່ຮວບຮວມຂອງກະສັດ; ສ່ວນຄົນອື່ນ—ສະມາຊິກແລະຜູ້ຕິດຕາມ—ເປັນແຕ່ອະວະຍະວະແລະເຄື່ອງມືຂອງການຫາລື, ບໍ່ແມ່ນຜູ້ຮູ້ຄວາມລັບແທ້.
भीष्म उवाच
Effective and ethical governance depends on confidential, well-guarded counsel: wise ministers protect the kingdom by preserving secrecy, because strategic deliberation functions as the king’s defense and strength.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma advises the king on principles of administration, emphasizing that ministers must conceal state counsel and that not everyone involved in deliberations truly understands or should access it.