Summary
The truthful and upright characters of the ministers of Dasharatha are portrayed, who make the ruler-ship meaningful with their virtuous, skilful and efficient administration. Along with the political ministers, the religious ministry is also portrayed [depicted].
Chapter [Sarga] 7 in Detail
tasya amaatyaa gunair aasan ikshhvakostu mahaatmanah |
ma.ntrajnaah cha ingitajnaah cha nityam priya hite rataah || 1-7-1
The ministers for the great soul from Ikshvaku kings of Emperor Dasharatha, are epitomized [ideal example of] ones of their tactfulness, adroitness [clever] and are always obliged to undertake welfare activities of their king and the kingdom. [1-7-1]
astau babhuuvuh viirasya tasya amaatyaa yashasvinah |
shuchayah cha anuraktaah cha raajakrityesu nityashah || 1-7-2
Eight ministers are there for that valiant and glorious King Dasharatha, who are clean at heart and are involved in the works of the king and kingdom at all time. [1-7-2]
dhristir jayanto vijayo suraastro raastra vardhanah |
akopo dharmapaalah cha suma.ntrah cha ashhtamo arthavit || 1-7-3
Dhristi, Jayantha, Vijaya, Suraashtra, Raashtravardhana, Akopa, Dharmapaala, are seven, and Sumantra is the eighth one. [1-7-3]
ritwijau dvau abhimatau tasyaah taam rishhi sattamau |
vashistho vaamadevah cha ma.ntrinah cha tathaa apare || 1-7-4
Two venerable [deserving to be regarded or treat with reverence] saints of eminence [a position of prominence or superiority] are religious ministers for they are authorities in Vedic rituals, namely Vasishta and Vamadeva, who are the acquiescent [acceptable] with religious matters, and apart from these two some more religious ministers are also there to King Dasharatha. [1-7-4]
suyajno api atha jaabaalih kaashaypo api atha gautamah |
maarkandeyah tu diirghaayuh tathaa kaatyaayano dvijah || 1-7-5
etaih brahmarsibhir nityam ritvijah tasya paurvakaah |
Suyajna, Jabali, Kashyapa, Gautama, Maarkandeya, Deerghaayu, and then Kaatyayana are the scholarly Brahmans acting as religious ministers, and along with them there are also Brahma-sages who are always the ancestral [retaliating to ancestor] ritual scholars for Dasharatha’s family. [1-7-5, 6a]
vidyaa viniitaa hriima.ntah kushalaa niyatendriyaah || 1-7-6
shriimantah cha mahaatmanah shaastrajnaa dhridha vikramaah |
kiirtimantah pranihitaa yathaa vachana kaarinah || 1-7-7
tejah kshamaa yashah praaptaah smita puurva abhibhaashhinah |
All the ministers are well versed in scriptures; they shun [avoid] bad deeds, skilful ones in their duties with their senses regulated. Those great souls are affluent [rich], knower of all sciences, firmly courageous, and they are distinguished and quiet-souls, and those ministers are true to their word. They are magnificent, patient and famed ones and they smile afore [before] they converse. [1-7-6b, 8a]
krodhaat kaama artha hetor vaa na bruuyur anritam vachah || 1-7-8
teshhaam aviditam ki.mchat shveshhu naasti pareshhu vaa |
kriyamaanam kritam vaa api chaarena api chikiir.hsitam || 1-7-9
They never speak untruthful words in anger or in greed or for monetary reasons either. There is nothing unknown to them, even a little, in their own country or in the others either, or about everything that is happening or has happened, or that is going to happen, for they know them through agents. [1-7-8b, 9]
kushalaa vyvahaareshhu sauhrideshhu pariikshitaah |
praapta kaalam yathaa dandam dhaarayeyuh sutesu api || 1-7-10
They are efficient in administration and their friendships are well examined by the king, and those ministers impose punishment even on their own sons, if situation demands it. [1-7-10]
kosha sa.ngrahane yuktaa balasya cha parigrahe |
ahitam cha api purushham na hi.nsyur aviduusakam || 1-7-11
In collections to their treasury and to militarize their armies they are dutiful, even an unfriendly person will not be tortured, if he were not really blameworthy. [1-7-11]
viiraah cha niyatotsaahaa raaja shaastram anusthitaah |
shuciinaam rakshitaarah cha nityam vishaya vaasinaam || 1-7-12
They are valiant ones with engineered enthusiasm, administrators of political science, clean persons and protectors of subjects of their kingdom at all times. [1-7-12]
brahma kshatram ahi.msantah te kosham samapuurayan |
sutiiksna dandaah sa.npreksya purusasya balaabalam || 1-7-13
They do not persecute [to harass] Brahman-s and Kshatriya-s to fill-up the treasury, and high degree punishments will be given on assessing that person's, or the offender's strength and weakness. [1-7-13]
shuchiinaam eka buddhiinaam sarveshaam sa.nprajaanataam |
na aasiit pure vaa raashhtre vaa mrisaa vaadii narah kvacit || 1-7-14
All of those ministers are clean administrators of kingdom, and are in league [an association of persons] with each other; as such there is none anywhere, either in capital or in country, a liar. [1-7-14]
kashchin na dushhtah tatra aasiit para daara ratir narah |
prashaa.ntam sarvam eva asiit raashhtram puravaram cha tat || 1-7-15
None with an evil-mind or with an interest in other man's wife is there, and thus on whole in the kingdom and also like that in the capital, there is an undisturbed society. [1-7-15]
su vaasasa su veshhaah cha te cha sarve shuchivrataah |
hitaarthah cha narendrasya jaagrato naya chakshushaa || 1-7-16
Well-dressed and well-decorated and they the ministers of King Dasharatha, observe decency in the interest of the king and also of the kingdom, with diligence [diligence] and with a truthful-eye. [1-7-16]
guror guna grihiitaah cha prakhyaataah cha paraakrame |
videshesu api vijnaataa sarvato buddhi nishchayaah || 1-7-17
They acquired good qualities from their mentors and they are renowned by their expertise, and even in foreign countries they are famous for their intellectual determinations in all affairs. [1-7-17]
abhito gunavantah cha na cha aasan guna varjitaah |
sandhi vigraha tatvajnaah prakrityaa sa.npadaanvitaah | 1-7-18
Versatile and virtuous are they the ministers and there is none who discarded his virtuosity [great technical skill], and they are the determiners of truce or war, and by their nature they possess opulence [wealth]. [1-7-18]
mantra sanvarane shaktaah shaktaah suukshmaasu buddhishhu |
niiti shaastra visheshhajnaah satatam priya vaadinah || 1-7-19
They are capable to keep up the confidentialities of strategies, and also capable to apply their mind even in micro-affairs, and they know moral science comprehensively, and above all, they are gentle articulators [put into words]. [1-7-19]
iidrishaih taih amaatyaih ca raajaa dasharathoanaghah |
upapanno gunopetaih anvashaasad vasundharaam || 1-7-20
Accompanied with such of those effectual and good-natured ministers the exalted king Dasharatha ruled the earth. [1-7-20]
aveksamaanah caarena prajaa dharmena rakshayan |
prajaanaam paalanam kurvan adharmam parivarjayan || 1-7-21
vishrutah trishhu lokeshhu vadaanyah satya sa.ngarah |
sa tatra purushhavyaaghrah shashaasa prithviim imaam || 1-7-22
He that most generous one among men, Dasharatha, while observing through spies, and to protect people righteously, and to give a good governance to them, he forsook unrighteousness and became a generous king avowed to truthfulness alone, and thus he that Dasharatha ruled the earth, which ruler-ship is renowned in all the three worlds. [1-7-21, 22]
na adhyagacchat vishistam vaa tulyam vaa shatrum aatmanah |
mitravaan nata saamantah prataapa hata kantakah |
sa shashaasa jagat raajaa divi deva patir yathaa || 1-7-23
Emperor Dasharatha has not encountered either a superior or an equal in his kingship, and to him there are many friends, subdued are his provincial kings and eliminated is thorniness [difficulties] by his own valor. He thus ruled the world like Indra would in Heaven. [1-7-23]
taih mantribhih ma.ntra hiteh nivistaih
vritoanuraktaih kushalaih samarthaih |
sa paarthivo diiptim avaapa yuktah
tejomayaih gobhih iva uditah arkah || 1-7-24
In the company of those ministers, who are conducive to the strategies, interested in the king and subjects as well, skilful and efficient ones, he that King Dasharatha obtained brilliance, like the rising Sun along with resplendent [shining brilliantly] sunrays. [1-7-24]
iti valmiki ramayane adi kavye bala kaande saptamah sargah
Thus, this is the 7th chapter in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate