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.
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |