THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA
BALA KANDA
SARGA 7
sçOm:
sgI: Canto 7
m¢ÓæO vNInm¯
Description of the Ministers
tÞyamaÏya
g¤NWras¢°ßvakaEÞt¤ mhaÏmn:
.
mÓæOMaàE¢ÄñtMaà
¢nÏy| ¢p#y¢htE rta:
¡1¡
| ißvakaE: |
of Ikshvaku lineage |
| mÓæOMa: |
wellversed in proper
counselling |
| i¢ÄñtMa:
| capable reading
the minds |
of others
For that high-souled
one, born of Ikshvaku
lineage, there were ministers endowed
with all good attributes,
always intent on his good,
well-versed in the science and
art of proper counselling
and capable of reading
the minds of others (1).
A¾aW
bB¥v¤v£rÞy tÞyamaÏya
yS¢Þvn: .
S¤cyàan¤r³aà
rajk]ÏyEx¤ ¢nÏyS: ¡2¡
| rajk]ÏyEx¤ |
affairs of the
kingdom |
For him, who
was famous and valorous,
there were eight ministers
who were faultless and ever-dedicated to
the affairs of the kingdom
(2).
D¦¢¾jIyÓtaE
¢vjy: ¢sÑGaTaI /TIsaDk:
.
ASaEkaE
mÓæOpalà s¤mÓæOàa¾maE{Bvt¯
¡3¡
They were Dhrishti,
Jayanta, Vijaya, Sidhartha, Arthasadhaka,
Asoka and
Mantrapala and the eighth
was indeed Sumantra (3).
§¢ÏvjaW
¹av¢BmtaW tÞyaÞtam¦¢xsäOmaW
.
v¢s¾aE
vamdEvà m¢ÓæONà
tTa{prE ¡4¡
| §¢xsäOmaW
| foremost among
sages |
Also he had
other counsellors and the
two--Vasishta and Vamadeva--who were
foremost among sages as
the chief priests
at sacrifices
(4).
¢vïa¢vn£ta
»£mÓt: kSla ¢nytE¢Ód#ya:
.
½£mÓtà
mhaÏman: SaÞæOåOa F¢v@ma:
¡5¡
| ¢vïa¢vn£ta:
| humble despite
their learning |
| ¢nytE¢Ód#ya:
| having their
senses under their control |
| SaÞæOMa: |
wellversed in the
Shastras |
(These personages
were) humble due to (the
weight of) their learning;
self- respecting, extremely competent,
having their senses under
their control, very well-to-do, high-souled,
well-versed in the codes
of conduct and right living
and of proven valour (5).
k£¢tImÓt:
p#¢N¢hta yTavcnka¢rN: .
tEj:XmayS:p#açOa:
¢Þmtp¥vaI¢BBa¢xN: ¡6¡
| p#¢N¢hta: |
intent on the
affairs of the kingdom |
| yTavcnka¢rN: |
acting true to
their words |
| tEj:XmayS:p#açOa:
| having achieved
glory, patience and fame |
| ¢Þmtp¥vaI¢BBa¢xN:
| conversing with
a smile on their lips |
They were
highly reputed, always intent
on the affairs of the
kingdom, acting true to their
words, having achieved glory,
patience and fame and opening
a conversation with a smile
playing on their lips
(easily accessible to people for redressal
of their grievances) (6).
@aEDat¯
kamaTIhEtaEvaI n b#¥y¤rn¦t|
vc: ¡7¡
| @aEDat¯ |
arising from anger |
| kamaTIhEtaE | :
due to greed or material
gain |
Never would
they utter untruth either
due to anger, greed or
for
material gain
(7).
tExam¢v¢dt|
¢k¢·t¯ ÞvEx¤
na¢Þt prEx¤ va .
¢@ymaN|
k]t| ca¢p carENa¢p ¢ck£¢xItm¯
¡8¡
| ¢@ymaN| |
what is happening |
| ¢ck£¢xItm¯
| what would happen
in future |
There was nothing
not known to them in
the country or outside,which
had happened, was happening or
would happen, through their
deft employment of spies (8).
kSla
ÛyvharEx¤ saW¶dEx¤ pr£¢Xta:
.
p#açOkalE
yTadÎf| DaryEy¤: s¤tEÝv¢p
¡9¡
| kSla: |
extremely dexterous |
| ÛyvharEx¤ |
in the affairs of
the kingdom |
| saW¶dEx¤ |
concerning their friends |
| p#açOkalE |
at the proper
time |
| yTadÎf| |
commensurate punitive action |
| s¤tEx¤
| their own
children |
They were
extremely dexterous in work,
tested (and found to be
steadsfast) in the matter concerning
therir friends and capable
of visiting the offenders with
commensurate punitive action at
the proper time, be it
their own children (9).
kaESs|g#hNE
y¤³a blÞy c p¢rg#hE.
A¢ht|
ca¢p p¤âx| n ¢v¢h|Þy¤rÑ¥xkm¯
¡10¡
| kaESs|g#hNE |
filling the public
coffers |
| p¢rg#hE |
protection and management |
They were adepts
in filling the public coffers
and in the management of
the armed forces. They would
not torment an innocent
person, though he be inimically disposed towards
them (10).
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