Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

केवलात्‌ पुनरादानात्‌ कर्मणो नोपपद्यते । परामर्शो विशेषाणामश्रुतस्येह दुर्मते:

Transliteration

kevalāt punarādānāt karmaṇo nopapadyate | parāmarśo viśeṣāṇām aśrutasyeha durmateḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：仅仅承揽职任、接手事务，并不能自然而然带来成功。世间若有人判断乖谬，又未研习权威教法，则在需要特别辨识的要务上，决不能提出稳妥之策。

Word by Word

• केवलात्: from mere/only (thing)
• केवलात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पुनः: again; moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• आदानात्: from taking up/undertaking
• आदानात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदान
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• कर्मणः: of an action/duty
• कर्मणः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उपपद्यते: is possible; is justified; succeeds
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√पद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• परामर्शः: advice; counsel
• परामर्शः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परामर्श
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विशेषाणाम्: of particulars/special matters
• विशेषाणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अश्रुतस्य: of one who has not studied/heard (the śāstra)
• अश्रुतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्रुत
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• इह: here; in this matter
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• दुर्मतेः: of the ill-minded/one of bad intellect
• दुर्मतेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Authority or responsibility alone does not ensure right outcomes; sound governance requires trained understanding (śāstra-śravaṇa) and clear judgment, especially in specialized matters.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and dharma, Bhishma warns that an uneducated, ill-judging person cannot succeed merely by taking up ministerial work, and his advice on complex issues will be unreliable.