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Post 3

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer, 

Continuing the topic of good governance raamaa's style - we saw in 
pattabhishEka sargam, there was no description of his style of governance. But 
we could read the fruits of raamaa's governance of the people or the effects 
ofgood governance. 

Then "where to look for the details" is he question coming to mind. Answer is 
spread in more than one place. So first we wil see "raamaa's father's style of 
ruling - viz. King dhasarathaa'style" as described in baala kaaNdam. 

Before that one small brief - you may feel - hey, this man is reproducing the 
raamaayaNa slOkams with meanings - what big is there. Dear Sirs and madams, 
this is mainly to give an exposure to those beautiful simple slOkams - very 
easy sanskrit - for those who do not have knowledge in sanskrit, plus the time 
and intention to corrctly locate the place in the entire raamaayaNam. 

We will have to take up the king dhasarathaa's organisation structure to study 
how he governed, which bharatha initially inherited, then ruled as the 
representative of raama paadhukaas, subsequently taken over by sree raamaa 
himself. 

The structure is 
King Dhasaratha
        
Council of ministers- 8 ministers       Council of rishis- 8 rishis

Magistrates     treasury officers       security officers defence

Like this all the officers were reporting to the council of ministers. 

OK. How many ministers were there in dhasarathaa's cabinet. What were 
theirnames are answered here.

ashtou baBhoovu: veerasya thasya amaathyaa yasasvina: |
suchaya: cha anurakthaa: cha raajakruthyeshu nithyasa: || 

sreemadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 7 slOkam 2

ashta: bhabhoovu: = eight, are there 
veerasya tasya amaatyaa = of the valiant one his ministers 
yashasvina: = glorious king 
shuchaya: = pure at heart 
anuraktaa: cha = beholden to, also 
raaja kruthyeshu = king' s, works
nithysa: = all time.

Meaning: Eight are there, those ministers of that valiant and glorious 
KingDasharatha, who are pure at heart and are beholden to works of the king 
[and kingdom] at all times. 

dhrushtir jayanthO vijayO suraashtrO raashtravardhana: |
akOpO dharmapaala: cha sumantra: cha ashtamO arthavith || 

sreemadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 7 slOkam 3

dhrushti: = Dhristi: 
jayantha: = Jayantha: 
vijaya: = Vijaya: 
suraaSTra: = Suraashtra: 
raashtra vardhana: = Raashtravardhana: 
akOpa: = AkOpa: 
dharmapaala: cha = Dharmapaala: also 
sumanthra: = Sumanthra: 
ashtama: = eight 
abhavat = been

Meaning: The names of the ministers eight in numbers were - 1. Dhristi, 2. 
Jayantha, 3. Vijaya, 4. Suraashtra, 5. Raashtravardhana, 6. AkOpa, 7. 
Dharmapaala, and the eighth is Sumanthra. 

Point: How were the ministers and their cleverness etc is answered here.

thasya amaathyaa guNair aasan ikshvakOsthu mahaathmana: |
manthrajnaa: cha ingithajnaa: cha nithyam priya hithErathaa: || 

sreemadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 7 slOkam 1

thasya amaathyaa: = his ministers 
guNai: aasan = epitomised ones 
ikshvaaku: thu = of ikshvaaku, also 
mahaathmana: = to that great soul 
dhasarathha: manthrajna: cha = dhasarathha: tactful also 
ingithajna: cha = adroit also 
nithyam = always
priyahithE ratha: = obliged with welfare alone.

Meaning: The ministers of emperor dhasharatha, the great soul of ikshvaaku 
kings, are epitomised ones of their tactfulness, adroitness and are always 
obliging with the welfare of their King and the kingdom. [1-7-1]

Point: So it is clear that the ministers were always loyal to the king and the 
people. But these ministers as stated here below were in the knowledge of even 
small and minute things happening in and around the country. 

thEshaam avidhitham kinchath svEshu naasthi parEshu vaa |
kriyamaaNam krutham vaa api chaarENa api chikeershitham || 1-7-9

thEshaam = to them 
avidhitham = unknown 
kinchath = a little
svEshu = in their own [country]; 
na asthi = not there 
parEshu vaa = in other [countries] either 
kriyamaaNam = that is happening
krutham = already happened 
vaa api = either that too 
chaarENa = through agents 
chikeershitham = that is going to happen.

Meaning: There is nothing unknown to them [these ministers], even a little,in 
their own country or in the others either, and everything that is happening or 
has happened or that is going to happen, is known through their agents. [1-7-9]

kushalaa vyvahaarEshu souhrudhEshu pareekshithaa: |
praaptha kaalam yathaa dhaNDam dhaarayEyu: suthEshu api || 1-7-10

kushalaa:= efficient; 
vyavaharEshu = in administration 
souhrudhEshu = in their friendships 
pareekshithaa: = well examined [by the king] 
praaptha kaalam yathaa = comes time if [if time comes]
dhaNDam dhaarayeyu = they impose punishment 
sutha: api = to their sons even.

Meaning: Efficient in administration and their friendships are well examined 
[by the king] and if time comes, they impose punishment even on their ownsons' 
even. [1-7-10]

Point: see here how the ministers behaved. Just think present day conditions.

Point: A council of rishis was guiding the king in advisory capacity and have 
no direct role in day to day operation. How were they is also described.

ruthvijou dhvou abhimathou thasyaa: thaam rishi saththamou |
vasishtO vaamadhEva: cha manthriNa: cha thathaa aparE || 

sreemadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 7 slOkam 4

suyajnO api atha jaabaali: kaasyapO api atha gouthama: |
maarkaNdEya: thu dheerghaayu: thathaa kaathyaayanO dhvija: || 

sreemadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 7 slOkam 5

rithvijou = vEdhic ritual - authorities 
dhvou = two 
abhimathou = venerable ones 
thasyaa: = to him the king dhasarathha: 
thaam rishi saththamou = those saints of eminence 
vasishta: = vasishta: 
vaamadhEva: cha = vaamadhEva also 
mantriNa: cha = ministers also 
thathaa aparE = like that further more

suyajnO api = suyajna also 
atha jaabaali: = then jaabaali: 
kaasyapa: api = kaasyapa also 
atha gouthama: = then gouthama 
maarkaNdEya: thu = maarkaNdEya also 
dheergaayu: thathaa = the dheerga aayu like that 
kaathyaayana: = kaathyaayana 
dhvija: = brahmin

meaning: Vedic ritual-authorities to King Dasharatha are two, venerable saints 
of eminence, namely Vashishta and Vamadeva, further more [some more religious 
ministers] are also there. [1-7-4]. They are 3. Suyajna, 4. Jabaali,5. 
Kaashyapa, 6. Gautama, 7. Maarkandeya, the dheerghaayu, and then 8. Kaatyayana 
are the Brahmin scholars and religious ministers of Dasharatha.] [1-7-5]

Ethai: brahma rishibhir nithyam rithvija: thasya pourvakaa: |
vidhyaa vineethaa hreemantha: kusalaa niyathEndhriyaa: || 
sreemadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 7 slOkam 6

Ethai: = along with them 
brahma rishibhi: = brahma-like sages 
nithyam = always 
rithvija: = ritual scholars 
thasya pourvakaa: = his ancestral 
vidhya vineetha = in scriptures well-versed 
hreemantha: = shun bad deeds 
kusalaa: = skilful 
niyatha indhriya: = with regulated senses

Meaning: Along with them, there are also Brahma-like sages always, ancestrally 
ritual scholars for dhasarathha. All are well-versed in scriptures, andthey 
shun away bad deeds, skilful ones with their senses completely regulated. 
[1-7-6]

sreemantha: cha mahaathmana: saasthrajnaa dhruda vikramaa: |
keerthimantha: praNihithaa yathaa vachana kaariNa: || 

sreemadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 7 slOkam 7

sreemantha: cha = affluent ones 
maha aathmana: = great souls 
saasthrajnaa = knowers of sciences 
dhruda vikrama: = firm in determination 
keerthimantha: = distinguished ones
praNihithaa: = quiet souls 
yathaa vachana kaariNa: = like their word doers also [true to their word]

meaning: Affluent ones are those great souls, knowers of all sciences, firmin 
their determination, distinguished and quiet-souled they are, and true to their 
word too. [1-7-7]

thEja: kshamaa yasa: praapthaa: smitha poorva abhibhaashiNa: |
krOdhaat kaama artha hEthOr vaa na brooyur anrutham vacha: || 1-7-8

thEja: kshamaa yasa: = magnificence patience fame 
praapthaa: = acquired ones 
smitha poorva abhibhaashaNa = while they converse smile afore
krOdhaath kaama = in anger in greed 
artha hEthu vaa = either of monetary reason  
na brooyu: = never they speak 
anrutham = untruthful 
vacha: = words.

Meaning: These rishis - acquired are magnificence, patience and fame by them 
and they never speak untruthful words in greed or for monetary reasons either. 
They smile afore even when they converse in anger. [1-7-8]

Point: Even though there was a super cabinet to advise the king apart from 
regular council of ministers since this super cabinet is filled with persons of 
impeccable character the administration was straight and good. 

We will continue to see department wise administration of king dhasaratha in 
next post.

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.




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