Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 5

अमात्य-गुणवर्णनम्

The Virtues of Daśaratha’s Ministers and the Order of Governance

Devanagari script

विद्याविनीता ह्रीमन्त: कुशला नियतेन्द्रिया: ।श्रीमन्तश्च महात्मानश्शास्त्रज्ञा दृढविक्रमा: ।।।।कीर्तिमन्त: प्रणिहिता: यथावचनकारिण: ।तेज: क्षमायश:प्राप्ता स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिण: ।।।।

Transliteration

vidyāvinītā hrīmantaḥ kuśalā niyatendriyāḥ |

śrīmantaś ca mahātmānaḥ śāstrajñā dṛḍhavikramāḥ ||

kīrtimantaḥ praṇihitāḥ yathāvacanakāriṇaḥ |

tejaḥ-kṣamā-yaśaḥprāptā smitapūrvābhibhāṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Eran instruidos y disciplinados, con pudor ante la injusticia, hábiles y dueños de sí; prósperos, magnánimos, versados en los śāstras y firmes en el valor. Famosos y vigilantes, obraban conforme a su palabra; dotados de esplendor, paciencia y gloria, hablaban con cortesía, comenzando con una sonrisa.

Word by Word

• क्रोधात्: from anger / out of anger
• क्रोधात्: हेतु (Cause/निमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• काम-अर्थ-हेतोः: from the motive of desire and gain
• काम-अर्थ-हेतोः: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + अर्थ + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक; कामार्थहेतु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कामस्य अर्थस्य हेतु:); पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (disjunctive particle/विकल्प)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• ब्रूयुः: should say / would utter
• ब्रूयुः: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• अनृतम्: untruth
• अनृतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• वचः: word / speech
• वचः: कर्म (Object; apposition to अनृतम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• अविदितम्: unknown
• अविदितम्: विशेषण (Predicate adjective of किञ्चित्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + विदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √विद्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• किञ्चित्: anything (even a little)
• किञ्चित्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अत्र प्रथमा (subject)

• स्वेषु: among their own (people)
• स्वेषु: अधिकरण (Locative domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• परेषु: among others / enemies
• परेषु: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• क्रियमाणम्: being done
• क्रियमाणम्: कर्ता (as part of subject set)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → क्रियमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle/शानच्), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अत्र प्रथमा (subject-apposition)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: कर्ता (as part of subject set)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अत्र प्रथमा

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• चारेण: by spies
• चारेण: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• अपि: even
• अपि: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• चिकीर्षितम्: intended to be done
• चिकीर्षितम्: कर्ता (as part of subject set)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → चिकीर्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: देशिदेरिवेटिव/इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (Desiderative-based PPP: √कृ → चिकीर्ष-; क्त), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अत्र प्रथमा

Context

The king (Dasaratha) had many friends. All the tributary kings were obedient to him. He killed his enemies with his might. There was no foe who was either superior to or equal to him. He ruled the world as Indra ruled the heaven.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

Public duty requires inner discipline: learning, self-control, truthfulness in action (doing as one says), and kṣamā (forbearance) are presented as ethical foundations for governance.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration expands from listing ministers and priests to describing the ministers’ character—why they are fit to support a righteous king.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Integrity and restraint: being true to one’s word, morally modest (hri), and courteous in speech.