Shloka 18
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
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 ||
毗湿摩说：此后，国王——能自制、心智澄明而安定，并希求国土昌盛者——应当考察群臣，辨别其德与失。
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.