Shloka 15
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
अमानी सत्यवान क्षान्तो जितात्मा मानसंयुत: । स ते मन्त्रसहाय: स्यात् सर्वावस्थापरीक्षित:
amānī satyavān kṣānto jitātmā mānasaṁyutaḥ | sa te mantrasahāyaḥ syāt sarvāvasthāparīkṣitaḥ ||
जो अभिमानरहित, सत्यवान, क्षमाशील, जितात्मा आणि संयमित मनाचा—आणि जीवनाच्या सर्व अवस्थांत परीक्षित—असा पुरुषच तुझ्या गुप्त मंत्रणेत सहाय्यक असावा.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should choose a confidential adviser only if he is humble, truthful, patient, self-mastered, mentally disciplined, and—most importantly—proven reliable across all circumstances; ethical steadiness is the basis of trust in counsel.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous governance, Bhīṣma lays down criteria for selecting a person fit to assist in secret deliberations, emphasizing tested character over mere ability.