Shloka 47
Mantri-Parīkṣā — Testing Ministers, Securing Counsel, and Ethical Criteria for Advisers (अध्याय ८४)
नगर और जनपदके लोग जिसपर धर्मतः विश्वास करते हों तथा जो कुशल योद्धा और नीतिशास्त्रका विद्वान् हो, वही गुप्त सलाह सुननेका अधिकारी है ।।
nagara-janapadasya lokā yeṣāṃ dharmataḥ viśvasanti tathā yaḥ kuśalo yoddhā nītiśāstra-vidaś ca sa eva gupta-mantra-śravaṇe ’dhikārī | tasmāt sarva-guṇair etair upapannāḥ supūjitāḥ mantriṇaḥ prakṛti-jñāḥ syus trayo ’varā mahad-īpsavaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：唯有那等人，方堪聆听机密谋议——城邑与乡邦之民以正法而信赖之者，且为善战之勇士，又通晓治国之伦理。故国王当唯择具足诸德之士为大臣：为众所敬，善察国土之情势与民心之向背，并愿担大任。王之大臣不宜多；至少当有三人。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Confidential state counsel should be entrusted only to ministers who are publicly trusted on dharmic grounds, competent in both warfare and political ethics, respected by all, and able to read the nature and condition of the realm; and the ministerial council should be small—at least three.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on how a king should choose ministers and structure counsel, emphasizing trustworthiness, competence, and a minimal, effective number of advisers.