Shloka 2.67.29

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

Devanagari script

यथा ह्यनुदका नद्यः यथा वाऽप्यतृणं वनम्।अगोपाला यथा गावस्तथा राष्ट्रमराजकम्।।।।

Transliteration

yathā hy anudakā nadyaḥ yathā vā 'py atṛṇaṃ vanam | agopālā yathā gāvas tathā rāṣṭram arājakam ||

Translation

A kingdom without a king is like rivers without water, a forest without grass, and cows without cowherds—its very life-support and guidance are gone.

Context

(The kingdom without a king) is like rivers without water, forests without vegetation and cows without cowherds.

Characters & Entities

• rāṣṭra (kingdom)
• nadī (rivers)
• vana (forest)
• gāvaḥ (cows)
• gopāla (cowherds)

FAQs

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

A king is envisioned as the sustaining guide of the polity; without that guiding dharma, society becomes barren, directionless, and vulnerable.

What is the narrative situation?

The counsel culminates in vivid comparisons to show that leaderlessness is not neutral—it is a loss of nourishment, protection, and order.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Guidance and guardianship—the ruler’s role as protector and organizer of collective life.