Shloka 21
शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma
Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare
कच्चिन्नतर्कैर्युक्त्या वा ये चाप्यपरिकीर्तिताः।त्वया वा तवामात्यैर्बुध्यते तात मन्त्रितम्।।।।
kaccin na tarkair yuktyā vā ye cāpy aparikīrtitāḥ | tvayā vā tavāmātyair budhyate tāta mantritam ||
Wahai adikku yang dikasihi, semoga apa yang telah diputuskan—olehmu atau oleh para menterimu—tidak dapat ditangkap oleh orang lain melalui sangkaan, inferens, atau jalan-jalan tersembunyi yang tidak terungkap.
Dear brother, I hope others are not able to understand your determination or those of your ministers, either by conjecture or by inference or through other means without being revealed either by you or by your ministers.
FAQs
Dharma here is careful stewardship of power: even without direct betrayal, careless signals can expose policy; the ruler must prevent harm by guarding both speech and strategic indications.
Rāma probes whether Bharata’s court preserves confidentiality so thoroughly that outsiders cannot deduce plans even indirectly.
Discernment and disciplined communication—preventing leakage not only by silence but by avoiding predictable patterns.