Sloka & Translation

[King Dasaratha's court and description of the virtues of ministers].

tasyāmātyā guṇairāsannikṣvākōstu mahātmana: .

mantrajñāścēṅgitajñāśca nityaṅ priyahitē ratā: ৷৷1.7.1৷৷

mahātmana: of the magnanimous, tasya his, ikṣvākō: of the descendent of Ikshvaku, guṇai: with virtues, mantrajñāśca competent counsellors, iṅgitajñāśca skilled in judging motives from the features of the face, nityam always, priyahitē doing all that was dear and could bring welfare to the king, ratā: intent on, amātyā: ministers, āsan existed.

The ministers of the great descendent of the Ikshvakus were endowed with all virtues. They were competent counsellors, skilled in judging motives from facial features and were always intent on doing good and all that was dear and helpful to the king.

aṣṭau babhūvurvīrasya tasyāmātyā yaśasvina: .

śucayaścānuraktāśca rājakṛtyēṣu nityaśa: ৷৷1.7.2৷৷

vīrasya of the mighty, yaśasvina: glorious, tasya for that king Dasaratha, śucaya: free from blemish in dealings, nityaśaḥ ever, rājakṛtyēṣu in royal duties, anuraktāśca loyally devoted, aṣṭau eight, amātyā: ministers, babhūvu: had been employed.

The mighty and glorious (king Dasaratha) had eight ministers who were free from blemish in their dealings and ever devoted to royal duties.

dhṛṣṭirjayantō vijayassiddhārthō hyarthasādhaka: .

aśōkō mantrapālaśca sumantraścāṣṭamō.bhavat ৷৷1.7.3৷৷

dhṛṣṭi: Dhrishti, jayanta: Jayanta, vijaya: Vijaya, siddhārtha: Siddhartha, arthasādhaka: Arthasadhaka, aśōka: Ashoka, mantrapālaśca Mantrapala, sumantraḥ Sumantra, aṣṭama: eigth, abhavat were present.

The eight ministers were Dhrishti, Jayanta,Vijaya, Siddhartha, Arthasadhaka, Ashoka, Mantrapala and Sumantra.

ṛtvijau dvāvabhimatau tasyā৷৷stāmṛṣisattamau .

vasiṣṭhō vāmadēvaśca mantriṇaśca tathāparē ৷৷1.7.4৷৷

tasya for him, vasiṣṭha: Vasihta, vāmadēva: ca and Vamadeva, dvau two, ṛṣisattamau excellent rishis, abhimatau highly desired, ṛtvijau family priests, āstām existed, tathā and, aparē some other, mantriṇaśca counsellors also.

He had two well-chosen excellent rishis, Vasishta and Vamadeva, as family priests besides some other counsellors.

vidyāvinītā hrīmanta: kuśalā niyatēndriyā: .

śrīmantaśca mahātmānaśśāstrajñā dṛḍhavikramā: ৷৷1.7.5৷৷

kīrtimanta: praṇihitā: yathāvacanakāriṇa: .

tēja: kṣamāyaśa:prāptā smitapūrvābhibhāṣiṇa: ৷৷1.7.6৷৷

vidyāvinītā: well educated in all branches of knowledge, hrīmanta: those who feel ashamed to do unjust acts, kuśalā: proficient, niyatēndriyā: those having restrained senses, śrīmantaśca wealthy, mahātmāna: illustrious, śāstrajñā: versed in shastras, dṛḍhavikramā: stead-fast in prowess, kīrtimanta: renowned, praṇihitā: fixing their attention on their thoughts, yathāvacanakāriṇa: doing in accordance with word, tēja:kṣamāyaśa:prāptā: possessing splendour forgiveness and fame, smitapūrvābhibhāṣiṇa: speaking with a smile.

They were well-educated in all branches of knowledge and deemed unjust acts shameful. They were renowned, proficient, versed in sastras, wealthy and magnanimous. They had their senses restrained and their deeds were in accordance with their words. They acted with determination. They were brilliant, forgiving and reputed. And always spoke with a smile.

krōdhātkāmārthahētōrvā na brūyuranṛtaṅ vaca: .

tēṣāmaviditaṅ kiñcitsvēṣu nāsti parēṣu vā .

kriyamāṇaṅ kṛtaṅ vāpi cārēṇāpi cikīrṣitam ৷৷1.7.7৷৷

krōdhāt either in anger, kāmārthahētōrvā or for the reason of pecuniary gains or for desire, anṛtam untruth or unjust, vaca: word, na brūyu: do not utter, svēṣu in the midst of their own, parēṣu vā or among their enemies, kriyamāṇam what was being done, kṛtaṅ vāpi or what had been done, cikīrṣitam or intended to be done, tēṣām for them, cārēṇa through spies, aviditam unknown, kiñcit even little, nāsti was not there.

Either in anger or for pecuniary gains or for fulfilment of desire, they never uttered an untrue or unjust word. In the midst of their own people or among their enemies, they knew, through spies everything being done or had been done or intended to be done in future.

kuśalā vyavahārēṣu sauhṛdēṣu parīkṣitā: .

prāptakālaṅ tu tē daṇḍaṅ dhārayēyussutēṣvapi ৷৷1.7.8৷৷

tē those ministers, vyavahārēṣu in their dealings, kuśalā: competent, sauhṛdēṣu in friendship, parīkṣitā: tested, sutēṣvapi even in the matter of sons, prāptakālam appropriately, daṇḍam punishment, dhārayēyu: used to impose.

They knew how to deal (with people). They were true to their friends. They used to impose appropriate punishment even on their own sons.

kōśasaṅgrahaṇē yuktā balasya ca parigrahē .

ahitaṅ cāpi puruṣaṅ na vihiṅsyuradūṣakam ৷৷1.7.9৷৷

kōśasaṅgrahaṇē in replenishing the exchequer, balasya army's, parigrahē ca also holding, yuktā: experts, adūṣakam who did not commit any offence, ahitaṅ puruṣamapi those who were not well-wishers, na vihiṅsyu: never inflicted with punishment.

They were experts in replenishing the exchequer and in collecting the army. They never inflicted any punishment even on those who were not their well-wishers, if they did not commit any offence.

vīrāśca niyatōtsāhā rājaśāstramanuṣṭhitā: .

śucīnāṅ rakṣitāraśca nityaṅ viṣayavāsinām ৷৷1.7.10৷৷

vīrāśca mighty and powerful, niyatōtsāhā: possessing steady perseverance, rājaśāstram state policy, anuṣṭhitā: followed, viṣayavāsinām living in the state, śucīnām of virtuous people, nityam always, rakṣitāraśca protectors.

They were heroic. They possessed steady perseverance. They followed the state policy and always protected the virtuous people living in the state.

brahma kṣatramahiṅsantastē kōśaṅ samapūrayan .

sutīkṣṇadaṇḍāssaṅprēkṣya puruṣasya balābalam ৷৷1.7.11৷৷

brahma brahmanas, kṣatram kshatriyas, ahiṅsanta: did not cause pain (in thought, word and deed), tē they, kōśam treasury, samapūrayan filled, puruṣasya for a person, balābalam strength and weakness, samprēkṣya investigating, sutīkṣṇadaṇḍā: inflicted stringent punishments.

While ensuring that they did not cause pain to brahmanas and kshatriyas (in thought, word and deed), they filled the treasury. They inflicted stringent punishments on a man after examining his strength and weakness.

śucīnāmēkabuddhīnāṅ sarvēṣāṅ samprajānatām .

nāsītpurē vā rāṣṭrē vā mṛṣāvādī nara: kvacit ৷৷1.7.12৷৷

śucīnām of the chaste in conduct, ēkabuddhīnām unanimous in decision-making, sarvēṣām of all men, samprajānatām administrating the kingdom, purē vā either in the city, rāṣṭrē vā or in the kingdom, kvacit anywhere, mṛṣāvādī was a liar, nara: man, nāsīt did not exist.

While the ministers of chaste conduct administered the kingdom with unanimous decisions, there was no one who was a liar, either in the city or in the kingdom.

kaścinna duṣṭastatrāsītparadāraratō nara: .

praśāntaṅ sarvamēvāsīdrāṣṭraṅ puravaraṅ ca tat ৷৷1.7.13৷৷

tatra in that kingdom, duṣṭa: wicked, paradārarata: enamoured of others' wives, nara: men, kaścit even one, nāsīt did not exist, sarvam entire, rāṣṭram empire, tat that, puravaraṅ ca best of cities, praśāntam āsīt serenity prevailed.

In that kingdom no one was wicked or enamoured of others' wives. Serenity prevailed over the entire kingdom including the city of excellence.

suvāsasassuvēṣāśca tē ca sarvē suśīlina: .

hitārthaṅ ca narēndrasya jāgratō nayacakṣuṣā ৷৷1.7.14৷৷

tē sarvē all the ministers, suvāsasa: wore excellent clothes, suvēṣāśca well adorned, suśīlina: good character, narēndrasya king's, hitārtham for the welfare of, nayacakṣuṣā with politics as their eyes, jāgrata: vigilant.

They all were well-dressed in fine clothes. They possessed good character with an eye on justice and vigilant about the king's welfare.

gurōrguṇagṛhītāśca prakhyātāśca parākramē .

vidēśēṣvapi vijñātāssarvatō buddhiniścayāt ৷৷1.7.15৷৷

gurōḥ from elderly venerable persons like father, mother etc, guṇagṛhītā: receiving inspiration through their virtues, parākramē in the matter of prowess, prakhyātā: renowned, sarvata: in all affairs, buddhiniścayāt guided by their intellect, vidēśēṣvapi in other countries as well, vijñātā: were famous.

They imbibed virtues from the elderlies. They were renowned in prowess. They were guided by their intellect in all affairs. They were well-known everywhere.

sandhivigrahatattvajñā: prakṛtyā sampadānvitā: ৷৷1.7.16৷৷

mantrasaṅvaraṇē śaktāśślakṣṇāssūkṣmāsu buddhiṣu .

nītiśāstraviśēṣajñāssatataṅ priyavādina: ৷৷1.7.17৷৷

sandhivigrahatattvajñā: well aware of the real nature of peace or war, prakṛtyā inherently, sampadā by affluent, anvitā: possessed, mantrasaṅvaraṇē in keeping the plans secretly, śaktā: capable, sūkṣmāsu in sharp, buddhiṣu in comprehension, ślakṣṇā: gracious, nītiśāstraviśēṣajñā: distinguished in the science of ethics and morality, satatam always, priyavādina: spoke pleasing words.

The ministers were inherently well aware of the real nature of peace or war. They were affluent, adept in keeping secrecy and sharp in comprehending the points (before making any decision). They were experts in the science of ethics and morality. They always spoke pleasing words.

īdṛśaistairamātyaistu rājā daśarathō.nagha: .

upapannō guṇōpētairanvaśāsadvasundharām ৷৷1.7.18৷৷

anagha: free from sin, daśaratha: rājā king Dasaratha, guṇōpētai: by those endowed with virtues, īdṛśai: with such, amātyai: ministers, upapanna: surrounded, vasundharām earth, anvaśāsat ruled.

The faultless king Dasaratha, with the assistance of such ministers endowed with virtues, ruled the earth.

avēkṣamāṇaścārēṇa prajā dharmēṇa rañjayan .

prajānāṅ pālanaṅ kurvannadharmānparivarjayan ৷৷1.7.19৷৷

viśrutastriṣu lōkēṣu vadānyassatyasaṅgara: .

sa tatra puruṣavyāghraśśaśāsa pṛthivīmimām ৷৷1.7.20৷৷

puruṣavyāghra: tiger among men, sa: king Dasaratha, cārēṇa with spies, avēkṣamāṇa: guarding, prajā: the poeple, rañjayan pleasing, prajānām of people, pālanaṅ kurvan protecting, adharmān unrighteous ones, parivarjayan deserting, vadānya: munificient, satyasaṅgara: undertaking to uphold truth, triṣu lōkēṣu in the three worlds, viśruta: well-known, imām this, pṛthivīm earth, dharmēṇa with righteousness, śaśāsa reigned.

In the three worlds he (Dasaratha) was acclaimed in the three words as munificient and upholder of truth, a tiger among men, who ruled protecting and guarding the people through spies. He. ruled the kingdom with righteousness by deserting irreligious and keeping the subjects happy.

nādhyagacchadviśiṣṭaṅ vā tulyaṅ vā śatrumātmana: .

mitravānnatasāmanta: pratāpahatakaṇṭaka: ৷৷1.7.21৷৷

sa śaśāsa jagadrājā divaṅ dēvapatiryathā .

mitravān having many friends, natasāmanta: humbled tributary kings, pratāpahatakaṇṭaka: slayed the thorny enemies with might, ātmana: for himself, viśiṣṭaṅ vā superior, tulyaṅ vā or equal, śatrum foe, nādhyagacchat did not meet, sa: rājā that king, dēvapati: Indra, yathā like, jagat world, śaśāsa ruled.

The king (Dasaratha) had many friends. All the tributary kings were obedient to him. He killed his enemies with his might. There was no foe who was either superior to or equal to him. He ruled the world as Indra ruled the heaven.

tairmantribhirmantrahitē niyuktai-

rvṛtō.nuraktai: kuśalaissamarthai: .

sa pārthivō dīptimavāpa yukta-

stējōmayairgōbhirivōditō.rka: ৷৷1.7.22৷৷

mantrahitē in counselling for his welfare, niyuktai: appointed, anuraktai: by the affectionate ones, kuśalai: skilful ones, samarthai: by the capable, tai: mantribhi: with those ministers, vṛta: surrounded by, sa: pārthiva: the king, tējōmayai: luminous, gōbhi: by rays, yukta: filled with, udita: rising, arka: iva like the Sun, dīptim brightness, avāpa obtained.

Accompanied by the ministers who were devoted to his welfare, adept in counselling, skilful, capable and loyal towards him, the king acquired glory like the rising Sun with luminous rays.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē bālakāṇḍē saptamassarga: ৷৷
Thus ends the seventh sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.