कच्चिदात्मसमाः शूराः श्रुतवन्तो जितेन्द्रियाः।
कुलीनाश्चेङ्गितज्ञाश्च कृतास्ते तात मन्त्रिणः॥
kaccid ātma-samāḥ śūrāḥ śrutavanto jitendriyāḥ
kulīnāś ceṅgitajñāś ca kṛtās te tāta mantriṇaḥ
kaccit = have; ātma-samāḥ = who are equal to You; śūrāḥ = heroic; śrutavantaḥ = learned 3; jita-indriyāḥ = with their senses under control; kulīnāḥ ca = from authentic and noble families; iṅgitajñāḥ = skilled in understanding [others’ thoughts by observing their external] gestures; ca = and; kṛtāḥ = appointed; te = You; tāta = dear child; mantriṇaḥ = ministers.
Dear child, have You appointed ministers who are equal to You, heroic, learned with their senses under control, from authentic and noble families and skilled in understanding [others’ thoughts by observing their external] gestures?
The ministers are meant to be as good as the king (ātma-samāḥ), that is, fully trustworthy. They are meant to be heroic, that is, sober. “Learned” indicates that they are meant to be learned in Artha-śāstra. “Sense-controlled” indicates that they were not susceptible to temptations.
Why appoint such ministers? He states that in the next verse.