Valmiki Ramayana 2.100.58: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100, Shloka 58

शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma

Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare

Devanagari script

व्यसने कच्चिदाढ्यस्य दुर्गतस्य च राघव।अर्थं विरागाः पश्यन्ति तवामात्या बहुश्रुताः।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.100.58

Transliteration

vyasane kaccid āḍhyasya durgatasya ca rāghava | arthaṃ virāgāḥ paśyanti tavāmātyā bahuśrutāḥ ||

Translation

โอ้ราฆวะ (ภรตะ) ในยามวิบัติ บรรดาอำมาตย์ผู้รอบรู้ของท่าน พิจารณากิจการโดยปราศจากอคติหรือไม่ ไม่ว่าผู้เกี่ยวข้องจะมั่งมีหรือยากไร้

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Word by Word

• vyasane: in adversity
• vyasane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka (Neuter/नपुंसक), Saptamī (Locative), Ekavacana

• kaccit: I hope; is it the case that...?
• kaccit: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative particle

• āḍhyasya: of a rich man
• āḍhyasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

• durgatasya: of one in distress/poor
• durgatasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• rāghava: O Rāghava (Bharata)
• rāghava: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• artham: matter, interest, case
• artham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• virāgāḥ: impartial, dispassionate
• virāgāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa of amātyāḥ

• paśyanti: see, judge
• paśyanti: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Madhyama? actually Prathama puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Bahuvacana (Plural), Parasmaipada

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

• amātyāḥ: ministers
• amātyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amātya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• bahuśrutāḥ: well-informed, learned
• bahuśrutāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahuśruta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘bahu śrutaṃ yeṣām’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa of amātyāḥ

Context

O Bharata, I trust that your ministers are well-informed and look into all matters in times of hardship pertaining to whether a man is rich or poor without any bias to either.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Bharata)
• Ministers (amātya)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Impartial justice: governance must not tilt toward wealth or status; administrators should be detached and fair, especially during crises.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama evaluates the quality of Bharata’s counsel—whether ministers judge cases fairly across social and economic lines.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Fair-minded administration—equity and non-partisanship in public decision-making.