Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 17
अमात्य-गुणवर्णनम्
The Virtues of Daśaratha’s Ministers and the Order of Governance
सन्धिविग्रहतत्त्वज्ञा: प्रकृत्या सम्पदान्विता: ।।1.7.16।।मन्त्रसंवरणे शक्ताश्श्लक्ष्णास्सूक्ष्मासु बुद्धिषु ।नीतिशास्त्रविशेषज्ञास्सततं प्रियवादिन: ।।1.7.17।।
sandhivigrahatattvajñāḥ prakṛtyā sampadānvitāḥ | mantrasaṃvaraṇe śaktāḥ ślakṣṇāḥ sūkṣmāsu buddhiṣu | nītiśāstraviśeṣajñāḥ satataṃ priyavādinaḥ ||
彼らは同盟と抗争の真理を知り、天性として富み、密議を守る力に長け、知恵は精妙で鋭い。政道の学に通じ、常に言葉は和らかであった。
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.