Shloka 11
Śānti Parva 116: Criteria for Royal Servants and Administrative Competence (भृत्य-गुण-प्रश्नः / राजसेवक-लक्षणम्)
कीदृशा: संनिकर्षस्था भृत्या: सर्वगुणान्विता: । कीदृशै: कि कुलीनैर्वा सह यात्रा विधीयते,कैसे सर्वगुणसम्पन्न सेवक राजाके निकट रहने चाहिये और किस कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए कैसे सैनिकोंके साथ राजाको युद्धकी यात्रा करनी चाहिये?
kīdṛśāḥ saṃnikarṣasthā bhṛtyāḥ sarvaguṇānvitāḥ | kīdṛśaiḥ kiṃ kulīnair vā saha yātrā vidhīyate ||
Tinanong ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “Anong uri ng mga tagapaglingkod—na taglay ang lahat ng kabutihan—ang dapat panatilihing malapit? At kasama ang anong uri ng mga lalaki, at mula sa anong marangal na angkan, dapat magsagawa ang hari ng paglalakbay sa digmaan?”
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a rājadharma inquiry: a king’s success and moral safety depend on choosing close attendants of proven virtue and selecting suitable companions for military expeditions—emphasizing character, reliability, and proper social standing as safeguards for governance and warfare.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Yudhiṣṭhira asks for guidance about whom a king should keep near and with what kind of well-born, capable men he should set out on a warlike campaign, seeking norms for prudent and ethical rule.