Four Brahmanas, learned in the Vedas, endued with a sense of dignity, belonging to the Sanataka order, and of pure conduct, and eight Kshatriyas, all of whom should have physical strength and be capable of wielding weapons, and one and twenty Vaishyas, all of whom should be rich, and three Shudras, every one of whom should be humble and of pure conduct and devoted to his daily duties, and one man of the Suta caste, possessing of the knowledge of the Puranas and the eight principal virtues, should be your ministers. Every one of them should be fifty years old endued with sense of dignity, free from envy, masters of the Shrutis and the Smritis humble, impartial, capable of deciding then and there in the midst of disputants pointing out various courses of action, free from covetousness, and from the seven terrible vices called Vyasanas. The king should consult with those eight ministers and lead them.
चतुरो ब्राह्मणान् वैद्यान् प्रगल्भान् स्नातकाशुचीन्। क्षत्रियांश्च तथा चाष्टौ बलिनः शस्त्रपाणिनः॥ वैश्यान् वित्तेन सम्पन्नानेकविंशतिसंख्यया। त्रींश्च शूद्रान् विनीतांश्च शुचीन् कर्मणि पूर्वके॥ अष्टाभिश्च गुणैर्युक्तं सूतं पौराणिकं तथा। पञ्चाशद्वर्षवयसं प्रगल्भमनसूयकम्॥ श्रुतिस्मृतिसमायुक्तं विनीतं समदर्शिनम्। कार्ये विवदमानानां शक्तमर्थेष्वलोलुपम्॥ वर्जितं चैव व्यसनैः सुघोरैः सप्तभि शम्। अशनां मन्त्रिणां मध्ये मन्त्रं राजोपधारयेत्॥