Shloka 13

Bhṛtya-niyoga: Role-appropriate appointment of servants and protection of the royal treasury (भृत्यनियोगः कोशरक्षणं च)

Devanagari script

चौक्ष॑ं चौक्षजनाकीर्ण सुमुखं सुखदर्शनम्‌ । नायकं॑ नीतिकुशलं गुणचेष्टासमन्वितम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | caukṣaṃ caukṣa-janākīrṇaṃ sumukhaṃ sukha-darśanam | nāyakaṃ nīti-kuśalaṃ guṇa-ceṣṭā-samanvitam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Nhà vua hãy chọn làm đại thần người có tầm nhìn sáng suốt và khả năng phân định, được vây quanh bởi những bậc minh triết; dung mạo hòa nhã, hiện diện khiến người khác vui lòng; xứng đáng làm người dẫn dắt, tinh thông thuật trị quốc, và đầy đủ phẩm hạnh cao quý cùng nếp hành xử kỷ luật.”

Word by Word

• चौक्षम्: pure/clean
• चौक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौक्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चौक्षजनाकीर्णम्: filled with pure people
• चौक्षजनाकीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौक्ष-जन-आकीर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुमुखम्: handsome/pleasant-faced
• सुमुखम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुखदर्शनम्: pleasant to behold
• सुखदर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख-दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नायकम्: leader
• नायकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नीतिकुशलम्: skilled in policy
• नीतिकुशलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीति-कुशल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गुणचेष्टासमन्वितम्: endowed with virtues and good conduct
• गुणचेष्टासमन्वितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण-चेष्टा-समन्वित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• minister/counsellor (mantrin, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king should choose ministers by character and competence: clear discernment, pleasing and trustworthy demeanor, leadership capacity, mastery of nīti (policy and ethical governance), and a life shaped by virtues and disciplined conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on governance, here describing the qualities that make a person worthy to serve as a royal minister and guide the king’s decisions.