Valmiki Ramayana 1.7.16-17: Bala Kanda, Sarga 7, Shlokas 16-17
अमात्य-गुणवर्णनम्
The Virtues of Daśaratha’s Ministers and the Order of Governance
सन्धिविग्रहतत्त्वज्ञाः प्रकृत्या सम्पदान्विताः ॥१६॥
मन्त्रसंवरणे शक्ताश्श्लक्ष्णास्सूक्ष्मासु बुद्धिषु ।
नीतिशास्त्रविशेषज्ञास्सततं प्रियवादिनः ॥१७॥
sandhivigrahatattvajñāḥ prakṛtyā sampadānvitāḥ ||16||
mantrasaṃvaraṇe śaktāḥ ślakṣṇāḥ sūkṣmāsu buddhiṣu |
nītiśāstraviśeṣajñāḥ satataṃ priyavādinaḥ ||17||
ये जानते थे कि कब दोस्ती करनी है और कब लड़ाई। इनके पास पैसा था और अपनी बातें छुपा सकते थे। ये समझदार थे और बात करने में अच्छे थे। राज्य चलाने के काम में माहिर थे और हमेशा प्यार से बात करते थे।
The ministers were inherently well aware of the real nature of peace or war. They were affluent, adept in keeping secrecy and sharp in comprehending the points (before making any decision). They were experts in the science of ethics and morality. They always spoke pleasing words.
FAQs
Ethical governance requires both strategic competence (peace/war discernment) and moral discipline (secrecy, refined speech), ensuring power serves dharma rather than ego.
This verse repeats/overlaps the preceding description (as transmitted in this Southern Recension dataset), reinforcing the ideal ministerial profile.
Diplomatic wisdom joined with ethical communication—pleasant speech grounded in nīti.
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