Shloka 1.7.11

अमात्य-गुणवर्णनम् (The Virtues of Daśaratha’s Ministers and the Order of Governance)

Devanagari script

ब्रह्म क्षत्रमहिंसन्तस्ते कोशं समपूरयन् ।सुतीक्ष्णदण्डास्संप्रेक्ष्य पुरुषस्य बलाबलम् ।।।।

Transliteration

brahma kṣatram ahiṃsantas te kośaṃ samapūrayan | sutīkṣṇadaṇḍāḥ saṃprekṣya puruṣasya balābalam ||

Translation

Without harming brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas, they filled the treasury; and, after assessing a person’s strength and weakness, they administered punishments that were strict and effective.

Context

While ensuring that they did not cause pain to brahmanas and kshatriyas (in thought, word and deed), they filled the treasury. They inflicted stringent punishments on a man after examining his strength and weakness.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣatriya
• Kośa (treasury)

FAQs

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

Dharmic governance balances revenue and punishment with restraint: the state must be financially sound and just, yet avoid wrongful harm—especially toward protected social orders.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator explains how the ministers maintained order and prosperity through measured taxation/wealth-management and calibrated punishment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discriminating justice: careful assessment before punishment, and principled restraint from causing harm.