Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100, Shloka 67
शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma
Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare
नास्तिक्यमनृतं क्रोधं प्रमादं दीर्घसूत्रताम्।अदर्शनं ज्ञानवतामालस्यं पञ्चवृत्तिताम्।।2.100.65।।एकचिन्तनमर्थानामनर्थज्ञैश्च मन्त्रणम्।निश्चितानामनारम्भं मन्त्रस्यापरिरक्षणम्।।2.100.66।।मङ्गलाद्यप्रयोगं च प्रत्युत्थानं च सर्वतः।कच्चित्वं वर्जयस्येतान्राजदोषांश्चतुर्दश।।2.100.67।।
daśapañcacaturvargān saptavargaṃ ca tattvataḥ | aṣṭavargaṃ trivargaṃ ca vidyās tisraś ca rāghava ||
indriyāṇāṃ jayaṃ buddhyā ṣāḍguṇyaṃ daivamānuṣam | kṛtyaṃ viṃśativargaṃ ca tathā prakṛtimaṇḍalam ||
yātrādaṇḍavidhānaṃ ca dviyonī sandhivigrahau | kaccid etān mahāprājña yathāvad anumanyase ||
罗伽婆啊，大智者——你是否如实通达并善加运用治国与修身之诸法：十、五、四之诸类；七类、八类、三类之诸组；三种学门；以智慧制胜诸根；六种权略；由天命与人事所生之灾厄；名为kṛtya之应行之务；二十种分类；诸要素之环与诸曼荼罗之圈；出征与刑罚之法度；以及和与战这两条道路？
I trust you eschew the fourteen faults of kings, like atheism, falsehood, anger, inattention, procrastination, evading the wise, indolence, gratification of all five senses, planning alone in the affairs of the kingdom, consultation with people who are proficient in worthless acts, failure to implement decisious, inability to keep the counsel secret and omission of auspicious practices and setting out against all the enemies at a time.
FAQs
Dharma in governance is informed competence: a ruler must master recognized disciplines of polity, self-control, punishment, diplomacy, and war—so power is exercised responsibly and truthfully.
The speaker tests Bharata’s training in classical statecraft categories—diplomacy, punishment, expeditions, and control of the senses—expected of a king.
Practical wisdom (mahāprājñatā): disciplined intellect applied to ethics, administration, and strategy.