Shloka 18
अत ऊर्ध्वममात्यानां परीक्षेत गुणागुणम् । संयतात्मा कृतप्रज्ञो भूतिकामश्न भूमिप:,इसके बाद मनको वशमें रखनेवाला शुद्धबुद्धि और ऐश्वर्यकामी भूपाल अपने मन्त्रियोंक गुण और अवगुणकी परीक्षा करे
ata ūrdhvam amātyānāṁ parīkṣeta guṇāguṇam | saṁyatātmā kṛtaprajño bhūtikāmaś ca bhūmipaḥ ||
यानंतर संयमी, स्थिरबुद्धी आणि राज्यसमृद्धीची इच्छा असलेला राजा आपल्या मंत्र्यांचे गुण-दोष तपासून पाहावा।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must not appoint or rely on advisers blindly; he should, with self-mastery and clear judgment, test ministers for both virtues and faults. Ethical governance requires discernment in selecting counsel, because ministers strongly shape policy and the kingdom’s welfare.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on practical kingship. Here he turns to the topic of ministerial selection, urging systematic evaluation of advisers as a key step in securing prosperity and stability.