Shloka 9
जटायुरुपदेशः — Jatāyu Confronts Rāvaṇa
Ethical Admonition and Challenge
राजा धर्मस्य कामस्य द्रव्याणां चोत्तमो निधिः।।।।धर्मश्शुभं वा पापं वा राजमूलं प्रवर्तते।
rājā dharmasya kāmasya dravyāṇāṁ cottamo nidhiḥ |
dharmaḥ śubhaṁ vā pāpaṁ vā rāja-mūlaṁ pravartate |
அரசன் தர்மம், காமம், செல்வம் ஆகியவற்றின் முதன்மை நிதி. தர்மம் நன்மையாக இருந்தாலும் பாவமாக மாறினாலும்—உலகில் அதன் நடை அரசனையே வேர் எனக் கொண்டு செல்கிறது.
A king is the best repository of rigteousness, material wealth and pleasures. The king is the root of dharma, virtue and sin.
FAQs
Dharma in society is causally tied to governance: the ruler’s character determines whether public life trends toward virtue or vice.
Jatāyu warns Rāvaṇa that his wrongdoing is not merely personal; as a king, his actions become the root of wider moral disorder.
Accountability in power: a ruler must embody restraint and justice because his conduct generates social norms.