Shloka 2.67.17

अयोध्यायां शोक-रात्रिः तथा अराजक-राष्ट्रस्य नीतिविचारः (The Night of Lamentation in Ayodhya and the Political Ethics of a Kingless Realm)

Devanagari script

नाराजके जनपदे उद्यानानि समागताः।सायाह्ने क्रीडितुं यान्ति कुमार्यो हेमभूषिताः।।।।

Transliteration

nārājake janapade siddhārthā vyavahāriṇaḥ | kathābhir anurajyante kathāśīlāḥ kathāpriyaiḥ ||

Translation

In a land without a king, litigants do not attain success in their cases; and storytellers do not delight those who love to listen to tales.

Context

In a country without a king, young ladies adorned with golden ornaments no longer meet in the evening at the pleasure garden for sporting.

Characters & Entities

• vyavahāra (legal dispute/judicial process)
• kathā (storytelling)

FAQs

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

The verse links dharma to justice and peace: without a ruler, judicial outcomes fail and even harmless cultural exchange loses its footing.

What is the narrative situation?

Continuing the description of a leaderless realm, the speakers stress that both courts (vyavahāra) and leisure (kathā) are undermined by disorder.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Nyāya (justice) as a royal responsibility—implying that orderly adjudication is a key virtue of good governance.