Shloka 2.100.21

शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma (Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare)

Devanagari script

कच्चिन्नतर्कैर्युक्त्या वा ये चाप्यपरिकीर्तिताः।त्वया वा तवामात्यैर्बुध्यते तात मन्त्रितम्।।।।

Transliteration

kaccin na tarkair yuktyā vā ye cāpy aparikīrtitāḥ | tvayā vā tavāmātyair budhyate tāta mantritam ||

Translation

Dear brother, may what has been resolved—by you or by your ministers—not be grasped by others through speculation, inference, or any other unrevealed means.

Context

Dear brother, I hope others are not able to understand your determination or those of your ministers, either by conjecture or by inference or through other means without being revealed either by you or by your ministers.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• amātya (ministers)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is careful stewardship of power: even without direct betrayal, careless signals can expose policy; the ruler must prevent harm by guarding both speech and strategic indications.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma probes whether Bharata’s court preserves confidentiality so thoroughly that outsiders cannot deduce plans even indirectly.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment and disciplined communication—preventing leakage not only by silence but by avoiding predictable patterns.