Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100, Shloka 66
शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma
Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare
नास्तिक्यमनृतं क्रोधं प्रमादं दीर्घसूत्रताम्।अदर्शनं ज्ञानवतामालस्यं पञ्चवृत्तिताम्।।2.100.65।।एकचिन्तनमर्थानामनर्थज्ञैश्च मन्त्रणम्।निश्चितानामनारम्भं मन्त्रस्यापरिरक्षणम्।।2.100.66।।मङ्गलाद्यप्रयोगं च प्रत्युत्थानं च सर्वतः।कच्चित्वं वर्जयस्येतान्राजदोषांश्चतुर्दश।।2.100.67।।
nāstikyam anṛtaṃ krodhaṃ pramādaṃ dīrghasūtratām | adarśanaṃ jñānavatām ālasyaṃ pañcavṛttitām ||
ēkacintanam arthānām anarthajñaiś ca mantraṇam | niścitānām anārambhaṃ mantrasyāparirakṣaṇam ||
maṅgalādyaprayogaṃ ca pratyutthānaṃ ca sarvataḥ | kaccit tvaṃ varjayasy etān rājadōṣāṃś caturdaśa ||
Do you avoid the fourteen royal faults—atheism, falsehood, anger, negligence, procrastination, shunning the wise, laziness, indulgence in the five senses; handling state affairs by thinking alone; taking counsel with the incompetent; failing to act on decisions; not guarding counsel; neglecting auspicious observances; and rashly attacking all enemies at once?
I trust you eschew the fourteen faults of kings, like atheism, falsehood, anger, inattention, procrastination, evading the wise, indolence, gratification of all five senses, planning alone in the affairs of the kingdom, consultation with people who are proficient in worthless acts, failure to implement decisious, inability to keep the counsel secret and omission of auspicious practices and setting out against all the enemies at a time.
FAQs
Rajadharma requires inner discipline and truth: a ruler must conquer personal vices (anger, laziness, sense-indulgence) and uphold satya, wise counsel, secrecy, and timely action.
The speaker enumerates classic governance-failures and asks Bharata whether he avoids them while administering the kingdom.
Self-restraint and prudent statecraft—especially truthfulness, receptivity to wise advice, and decisive, well-timed action.