Guest guest Posted August 7, 2003 Report Share Posted August 7, 2003 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 of good 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 their names 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 King Dasharatha, 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 own sons' 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, and they 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, firm in 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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