Shloka 31

Vyavahāra-Śuddhi and Rājadharma: Clean Administration, Counsel, and Proportional Punishment

Chapter 86

Devanagari script

कुलीन: सच्त्वसम्पन्न: शुक्लो<मात्य: प्रशस्यते । एतैरेव गुणैर्युक्तस्तथा सेनापतिर्भवेत्‌

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: kulīnaḥ sattva-sampannaḥ śuklo 'mātyaḥ praśasyate | etair eva guṇair yuktaḥ tathā senāpatir bhavet | sandhi-vigrahake 'vasarako jānanevālaḥ, dharmaśāstrasya tattvajñaḥ, buddhimān, dhīraḥ, lajjāvān, rahasyaṃ gupta-rakṣakaḥ, kulīnaḥ, sāhasī tathā śuddha-hṛdayavān mantrī hī uttamaḥ manyate | senāpatir api ebhir eva guṇaiḥ yuktaḥ syāt |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大臣若出身高贵，内具刚毅与德行，操守清净，便为人所称许。具备同样德性者，也当被立为军之统帅。他应明晓议和与用兵之机，通达法论之精髓，聪慧而沉稳，谦谨知耻，能守密谋，高门出身，勇敢无畏，心地澄明。如此之臣，方为上乘；而将帅亦当以同一德行铸就。”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'kulīnaḥ', 'definition': 'of noble family

• socially reputable'}, {'term': 'sattva-sampannaḥ', 'definition': 'endowed with sattva (inner strength, moral clarity, steadiness)

• virtuous in temperament'}, {'term': 'śuklaḥ', 'definition': 'pure

• untainted in conduct and intention'}, {'term': 'amātyaḥ', 'definition': 'minister

• royal counsellor'}, {'term': 'praśasyate', 'definition': 'is praised

• is commended'}, {'term': 'guṇa', 'definition': 'quality

• merit'}, {'term': 'yuktaḥ', 'definition': 'endowed with

• properly joined with'}, {'term': 'senāpatiḥ', 'definition': 'commander of the army

• general'}, {'term': 'sandhi', 'definition': 'peace

• reconciliation'}, {'term': 'vigraha', 'definition': 'hostility

• war'}, {'term': 'dharmaśāstra', 'definition': 'treatises on dharma (law, ethics, duty, right conduct)'}, {'term': 'tattvajñaḥ', 'definition': 'knower of the essence/principle

• one who understands fundamentals'}, {'term': 'buddhimān', 'definition': 'intelligent

• prudent'}, {'term': 'dhīraḥ', 'definition': 'steady

• composed under pressure'}, {'term': 'lajjāvān', 'definition': 'modest

• ethically self-regulating'}, {'term': 'rahasya', 'definition': 'secret

• confidential counsel'}, {'term': 'gupta-rakṣakaḥ', 'definition': 'one who keeps (it) protected/hidden

• trustworthy keeper of secrets'}, {'term': 'sāhasī', 'definition': 'bold

• capable of decisive action'}, {'term': 'śuddha-hṛdayavān', 'definition': 'pure-hearted

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• amātya (minister)
• senāpati (army commander)
• sandhi (peace/treaty)
• vigraha (conflict/war)
• dharmaśāstra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that political and military authority must be grounded in character: the best minister—and likewise the army commander—should be noble in conduct, morally steady, pure, intelligent, discreet, and capable of judging when to pursue peace (sandhi) and when conflict (vigraha) is necessary.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises the king about selecting key officers of state. Here he lists the virtues required for a minister and states that the commander of the army should possess the same set of qualities.