Shloka 50
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 ||
Bhishma disse: Ministros sábios mantêm bem oculto o conselho do Estado. Pois o conselho é a armadura protetora e a força coesiva do rei; ao passo que os demais—membros e assistentes—são apenas os membros e instrumentos da deliberação, não seus verdadeiros conhecedores.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.