Shloka 2

Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ह्वीनिषेवास्तथा दान्ता: सत्यार्जवसमन्धविता: । शक्ता: कथयितुं सम्यक्‌ ते तव स्यु: सभासद:,भीष्मजीने कहा--बेटा! जो लज्जाशील, जितेन्द्रिय, सत्यवादी, सरल और किसी विषयपर अच्छी तरह प्रवचन करनेमें समर्थ हों, ऐसे ही लोग तुम्हारे सभासद्‌ होने चाहिये

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca hṛīniṣevās tathā dāntāḥ satyārjavasamandhitāḥ | śaktāḥ kathayituṃ samyak te tava syuḥ sabhāsadaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“孩子啊，唯有举止谦谨、能自制、奉持真实与正直，并且能够正确而周全地陈述之人，才应当成为你王廷议会的成员。”

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

ह्री-निषेवाःpractising modesty (shamefaced)

तथाlikewise

दान्ताःself-controlled

सत्य-अर्जव-समन्विताःendowed with truthfulness and straightforwardness

शक्ताःcapable

कथयितुम्to explain/speak

सम्यक्properly, correctly

तेthey

तवof you, your

स्युःshould be

सभासदःmembers of the assembly

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

royal assembly (sabhā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s council should be composed only of people with inner discipline and moral integrity—modesty/propriety (hṛī), self-control (dānta), truthfulness (satya), straightforwardness (ārjava)—and with the competence to speak and advise correctly (samyak kathayitum).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs the ruler on dharma and governance. Here he specifies the ethical and practical qualifications required for those who sit in the king’s assembly and advise on public matters.