Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

जिनके साथ कोई-न-कोई सम्बन्ध हो

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ vainayikī buddhiḥ prakṛtiś caiva śobhanā | tejo dhairyaṃ kṣamā śaucaṃ anurāgaḥ sthitir dhṛtiḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：国王若求自身兴起与王权稳固，当只任用那些品行已被周密考验之人为大臣——其人具守礼之智与良善天性，兼有威力、勇毅、忍耐、清净、忠爱、安定与坚决之志。此等辅臣不贪不染，根植正统法度，久历公事之任，遂为治国之伦理根基。

Word by Word

• {'yeṣām': 'of whom

• whose', 'vainayikī': 'pertaining to discipline and good training

• ethical refinement', 'buddhiḥ': 'intellect

• understanding', 'prakṛtiḥ': 'nature

• temperament', 'ca eva': 'and indeed', 'śobhanā': 'excellent

• commendable', 'tejaḥ': 'vigor

• moral and political force', 'dhairyam': 'courage

• steadfastness', 'kṣamā': 'forbearance

• capacity to forgive', 'śaucam': 'purity

• integrity', 'anurāgaḥ': 'affectionate loyalty

• devoted attachment', 'sthitiḥ': 'stability

• settledness', 'dhṛtiḥ': 'firmness

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that political power should be supported by ethical competence: ministers must be chosen for disciplined judgment, good character, loyalty, purity, patience, courage, and steady resolve—qualities that protect the king and the realm from corruption and instability.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on raja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on statecraft. Here he lists the inner virtues that mark trustworthy ministers, emphasizing tested character and stable temperament as prerequisites for high office.