Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 12

अमात्य-गुणवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

शुचीनामेकबुद्धीनां सर्वेषां सम्प्रजानताम् ।नासीत्पुरे वा राष्ट्रे वा मृषावादी नर: क्वचित् ।।।।

Transliteration

śucīnām ekabuddhīnāṃ sarveṣāṃ samprajānatām | nāsīt pure vā rāṣṭre vā mṛṣāvādī naraḥ kvacit ||

Translation

清らかな行いで心を一つにする統治者たちのもと、都にも国土にも、偽りをもって生きる者はどこにもいなかった。

Word by Word

• शुचीनाम्: of the pure (people)
• शुचीनाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextually plural people), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• एकबुद्धीनाम्: of the unanimous-minded
• एकबुद्धीनाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (contextually), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (एकैव बुद्धिः येषाम्)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (contextually), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्दः

• सम्प्रजानताम्: of those who were well-informed/wise administrators
• सम्प्रजानताम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + ज्ञा (धातु) → सम्प्रजानत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (Present active participle/शतृ), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘सम्प्रजानत्’ = well-knowing/fully understanding (context: governing/administrating wisely)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (क्रियानिषेध/verb negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• आसीत्: there was/existed
• आसीत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध (conjunctive/disjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle: either/or)

• राष्ट्रे: in the kingdom
• राष्ट्रे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (either/or)

• मृषावादी: a liar
• मृषावादी: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता) — ‘नरः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृषा + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास/उपपद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (मृषा वदति इति)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• क्वचित्: anywhere (at all)
• क्वचित्: अधिकरण (Adverbial locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: anywhere/at any time)

Context

While the ministers of chaste conduct administered the kingdom with unanimous decisions, there was no one who was a liar, either in the city or in the kingdom.

Characters & Entities

• City (pura)
• Kingdom (rāṣṭra)

FAQs

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

Truthfulness (satya) becomes a social norm when leadership is morally pure and united; good governance cultivates truth in public life.

What is the narrative situation?

The text depicts the moral health of Daśaratha’s realm as a consequence of harmonious and ethical administration.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Collective integrity and unity in decision-making (ekabuddhi) that fosters a culture of truth.