Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 6
अमात्य-गुणवर्णनम्
The Virtues of Daśaratha’s Ministers and the Order of Governance
विद्याविनीता ह्रीमन्त: कुशला नियतेन्द्रिया: ।श्रीमन्तश्च महात्मानश्शास्त्रज्ञा दृढविक्रमा: ।।1.7.5।। कीर्तिमन्त: प्रणिहिता: यथावचनकारिण: ।तेज: क्षमायश:प्राप्ता स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिण: ।।1.7.6।।
vidyāvinītā hrīmantaḥ kuśalā niyatendriyāḥ |
śrīmantaś ca mahātmānaḥ śāstrajñā dṛḍhavikramāḥ ||
kīrtimantaḥ praṇihitāḥ yathāvacanakāriṇaḥ |
tejaḥ-kṣamā-yaśaḥprāptā smitapūrvābhibhāṣiṇaḥ ||
彼らは学識に富み、よく鍛えられ、不正を恥じ、巧みで自制にすぐれていた。富み栄え、心高く、シャーストラに通じ、勇猛にして揺るがぬ。名声あり、用心深く、言葉どおりに行い、光輝と忍耐と誉れを備え、微笑を先にして礼儀正しく語った。
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.
FAQs
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.
The narration expands from listing ministers and priests to describing the ministers’ character—why they are fit to support a righteous king.
Integrity and restraint: being true to one’s word, morally modest (hri), and courteous in speech.