Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100, Shloka 68
शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma
Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare
दशपञ्चचतुर्वर्गान्सप्तवर्गं च तत्त्वतः।अष्टवर्गं त्रिवर्गं च विद्यास्तिस्रश्च राघव।।।।इन्द्रियाणां जयं बुद्ध्या षाड्गुण्यं दैवमानुषम्।कृत्यं विंशतिवर्गं च तथा प्रकृतिमण्डलम्।।।।यात्रादण्डविधानं च द्वियोनी सन्धिविग्रहौ।कच्चिदेतान्महाप्राज्ञ यथावदनुमन्यसे।।।।
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.