Valmiki Ramayana 2.100.68: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100, Shloka 68
शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma
Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare
दशपञ्चचतुर्वर्गान्सप्तवर्गं च तत्त्वतः।अष्टवर्गं त्रिवर्गं च विद्यास्तिस्रश्च राघव।।।।इन्द्रियाणां जयं बुद्ध्या षाड्गुण्यं दैवमानुषम्।कृत्यं विंशतिवर्गं च तथा प्रकृतिमण्डलम्।।।।यात्रादण्डविधानं च द्वियोनी सन्धिविग्रहौ।कच्चिदेतान्महाप्राज्ञ यथावदनुमन्यसे।।।।
daśapañcacaturvargān saptavargaṃ ca tattvataḥ | aṣṭavargaṃ trivargaṃ ca vidyās tisraś ca rāghava ||
indriyāṇāṃ jayaṃ buddhyā ṣāḍguṇyaṃ daivamānuṣam | kṛtyaṃ viṃśativargaṃ ca tathā prakṛtimaṇḍalam ||
yātrādaṇḍavidhānaṃ ca dviyonī sandhivigrahau | kaccid etān mahāprājña yathāvad anumanyase ||
O Rāghava, du überaus Weise: Verstehst und befolgst du in ihrem wahren Sinn diese Ordnungen von Staatskunst und Lebensführung — die Zehner-, Fünfer- und Vierergruppen; die Siebener-, Achter- und Dreiermengen; die drei Zweige des Wissens; den Sieg über die Sinne durch den Verstand; die sechsfachen politischen Mittel; die Unheile aus Schicksal und menschlichem Tun; die Pflichten namens kṛtya; die zwanzigfache Einteilung; den Kreis der Bestandteile und Mandalas; die Regeln von Feldzug und Strafe; und die zwei Wege von Frieden und Krieg?
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
Dharma in governance is informed competence: a ruler must master recognized disciplines of polity, self-control, punishment, diplomacy, and war—so power is exercised responsibly and truthfully.
The speaker tests Bharata’s training in classical statecraft categories—diplomacy, punishment, expeditions, and control of the senses—expected of a king.
Practical wisdom (mahāprājñatā): disciplined intellect applied to ethics, administration, and strategy.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.