Shanti Parva Adhyaya 84 Shloka 6 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

कुलीना देशजाः: प्राज्ञा रूपवन्तो बहुश्रुता: । प्रगल्भाश्चानुरक्ताश्न ते तव स्यु: परिच्छदा:

Transliteration

kulīnā deśajāḥ prājñā rūpavanto bahuśrutāḥ | pragalbhāś cānuraktāś ca te tava syuḥ paricchadāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“当让那些出身名门、又生于你本土的人——聪慧、仪容俊美、博学多闻、胆识过人且忠诚依恋——成为你的侍从与随从队伍，如统帅与其他要职之臣。”

Word by Word

कुलीनाःof noble family

देशजाःnative-born (of the country)

प्राज्ञाःwise, intelligent

रूपवन्तःhandsome, possessing beauty

बहुश्रुताःwell-learned (having heard much)

प्रगल्भाःbold, confident

चand

अनुरक्ताःdevoted, attached

चand

तेthey

तवof you, your

स्युःshould be, may be

परिच्छदाःattendants, retinue (e.g., officers)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

paricchada (retinue/attendants, e.g., commanders)

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 ruler should appoint close attendants and key officers (including military leaders) who combine noble character and social credibility (kulīna), local rootedness (deśaja), competence and learning (prājña, bahuśruta), courage (pragalbha), and loyal commitment (anurakta).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma lays down criteria for selecting the king’s inner circle and functionaries, emphasizing both capability and trustworthy loyalty as foundations of stable rule.