Shloka 18
शूर्पणखाया रावणं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Surpanakha’s Political Admonition to Ravana
शुष्कैः काष्ठैर्भवेत्कार्यं लोष्टैरपि च पांसुभिः।न तु स्थानात्परिभ्रष्टैः कार्यं स्याद्वसुधाधिपैः।।।।
śuṣkaiḥ kāṣṭhair bhavet kāryaṃ loṣṭair api ca pāṃsubhiḥ | na tu sthānāt paribhraṣṭaiḥ kāryaṃ syād vasudhādhipaiḥ ||
शुष्कैः काष्ठैर्लोष्टैः पांसुभिश्च किञ्चित् कार्यं सिध्यति; किन्तु स्थानात् परिभ्रष्टैर्वसुधाधिपैः किञ्चिदपि कार्यं न सिध्यति।
Like a piece of cloth that is worn and discarded, like garlands put on and crushed, a king dislodged from the kingdom is worthless even if he is capable.
FAQs
Office and legitimacy matter in rajadharma: losing rightful station through misrule makes even a capable person ineffective for protecting and ordering society.
The speaker uses a practical analogy to stress the stakes of governance: downfall strips a ruler of functional value and authority.
Steadiness in duty and conduct: preserving one’s rightful position through dharmic rule.