Shloka 20

शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma

Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare

Devanagari script

कच्चित्तु सुकृतान्येव कृतरूपाणि वा पुनः।विदुस्ते सर्वकार्याणि न कर्तव्यानि पार्थिवाः।।।।

Transliteration

kaccit tu sukṛtāny eva kṛtarūpāṇi vā punaḥ | vidus te sarvakāryāṇi na kartavyāni pārthivāḥ ||

Translation

Erfahren andere Könige von deinen Vorhaben erst dann, wenn sie bereits erfolgreich ausgeführt sind — oder kurz vor dem Gelingen stehen — sodass ihnen nicht im Voraus offenbart wird, was noch zu tun bleibt?

Word by Word

• kaccit: I hope
• kaccit: Sentence particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative/hope particle

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sentence particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) marking contrast/emphasis

• sukṛtāni: well-accomplished acts
• sukṛtāni: Karma (object) understood with 'viduḥ' (what they know)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ with su-, kta; used as noun)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; here with 'eva' as object-domain: 'well-accomplished (matters)'

• eva: only
• eva: Sentence particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• kṛta-rūpāṇi: already set in form; nearly completed
• kṛta-rūpāṇi: Karma (object) with 'viduḥ' (alternative to sukṛtāni)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ, kta) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; samāsa: kṛtaṃ rūpaṃ yeṣām = 'already shaped/near completion'

• vā: or
• vā: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्प)

• punaḥ: again/further
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (पुनरावृत्तिबोधक)

• viduḥ: know, are aware of
• viduḥ: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (Perfect), Prathama puruṣa, Bahuvacana; Parasmaipada

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक; pronoun)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

• sarva-kāryāṇi: all undertakings
• sarva-kāryāṇi: Karma (object) of 'viduḥ'
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; samāsa: sarvāṇi kāryāṇi

• na: not
• na: Sentence particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• kartavyāni: to be done (yet)
• kartavyāni: Viśeṣaṇa of 'sarvakāryāṇi'
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartavya (कृदन्त; √kṛ, तव्यत् gerundive)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; qualifies 'sarvakāryāṇi': 'to be done (future duties)'

• pārthivāḥ: kings (others)
• pārthivāḥ: Kartā (subject) of 'viduḥ'
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

Context

I trust, other kings come to know of your endeavours only when your endeavours suceed or about to succeed. I hope, efforts intended to be made in future are not revealed to them beforehand.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• pārthiva (other kings)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma in rulership includes protecting the realm through discretion: revealing plans prematurely invites harm, whereas revealing outcomes after success preserves stability and truthfulness in governance.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma continues his checklist of prudent kingship, focusing on strategic secrecy against rival rulers.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Foresight and strategic restraint: the capacity to act effectively without advertising intentions.