Shloka 2.100.67

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

Devanagari script

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।।

Transliteration

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 ||

Translation

O Rāghava, greatly wise—do you truly understand and duly apply these disciplines of polity and conduct: the ten-, five-, and fourfold groupings; the sevenfold, eightfold, and threefold sets; the three branches of knowledge; conquest of the senses by intellect; the sixfold policy; misfortunes born of fate and of human agency; the duties called kṛtya; the twentyfold classification; the circle of constituents and the mandalas; the rules of expedition and punishment; and the two courses of peace and war?

Context

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.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma
• Raghu lineage (Rāghava epithet)
• Sandhi
• Vigraha
• Daṇḍa
• Yātrā
• Prakṛti-maṇḍala
• Trivarga

FAQs

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

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.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker tests Bharata’s training in classical statecraft categories—diplomacy, punishment, expeditions, and control of the senses—expected of a king.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical wisdom (mahāprājñatā): disciplined intellect applied to ethics, administration, and strategy.