Chapter 7

Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties

VERSE 1

तस्य अमात्या गुणैर् आसन् इक्ष्ह्वकोस्तु महात्मनः
मंत्रज्ञाः च इङ्गितज्ञाः च नित्यम् प्रिय हिते रताः

tasya amātyā guṇair āsan ikṣhvakostu mahātmanaḥ
maṃtrajñāḥ ca iṅgitajñāḥ ca nityam priya hite ratāḥ

SYNONYMS

mahāatmanaḥ tasya ikśvakuḥ tu: for great soul, to him, one born in Ikshwaku-s, Dasharatha | guṇaiḥ: those with epitomised attribute | mantrajñaḥ ca: tactful, also | iṅgitajñaḥ ca: adroit ones, also | nityam priya hite rataḥ: always, in welfare alone, obliged to | amātyā: ministers | āsan: are there. |

TRANSLATION

The misters for the great soul from Ikshvaku kings of Emperor Dasharatha, are epitomised ones of their tactfulness, adroitness and are always obliged to undertake welfare activities of their king and the kingdom. [1-7-1]

VERSE 2

अष्टौ बभूवुः वीरस्य तस्य अमात्या यशस्विनः
शुचयः च अनुरक्ताः च राजकृत्येषु नित्यशः

aṣṭau babhūvuḥ vīrasya tasya amātyā yaśasvinaḥ
śucayaḥ ca anuraktāḥ ca rājakṛtyeṣu nityaśaḥ

SYNONYMS

vīrasya: of the valiant one | yaśasvinaḥ: glorious king | tasya: his | śucayaḥ: clean at heart | nityasaḥ: all time | rāja kṛtyeṣu: in king' s, works | anuraktāḥ ca: involved in, also | amātyāḥ: ministers | aṣṭaḥ bhabhuvuḥ: eight, are there. |

TRANSLATION

Eight ministers are there for that valiant and glorious King Dasharatha, who are clean at heart and are involved in the works of the king and kingdom at all time. [1-7-2]

VERSE 3

धृष्टिर् जयन्तो विजयो सुराष्ट्रो राष्ट्र वर्धनः
अकोपो धर्मपालः च सुमंत्रः च अष्टमो अर्थवित्

dhṛṣṭir jayanto vijayo surāṣṭro rāṣṭra vardhanaḥ
akopo dharmapālaḥ ca sumaṃtraḥ ca aṣṭamo arthavit

SYNONYMS

dhṛṣṭiḥ: Dhristi | jayantaḥ: Jayantha | vijayaḥ: Vijaya | surāṣṭraḥ: Suraashtra | rāṣṭra vardhanaḥ: Raashtravardhana | akopaḥ: Akopa | dharmapālaḥca: Dharmapaala, also | ṣumantraḥ: Sumantra | aṣṭamaḥ: eighth | abhavat: will be. |

TRANSLATION

Dhristi, Jayantha, Vijaya, Suraashtra, Raashtravardhana, Akopa, Dharmapaala, are seven, and Sumantra is the eighth one. [1-7-3]

VERSE 4

ऋत्विजौ द्वौ अभिमतौ तस्याः ताम् ऋषि सत्तमौ
वशिष्ठो वामदेवः च मंत्रिणः च तथा अपरे

ṛtvijau dvau abhimatau tasyāḥ tām ṛṣi sattamau
vaśiṣṭho vāmadevaḥ ca maṃtriṇaḥ ca tathā apare

SYNONYMS

tasyāḥ: to him, Dasharatha | vaśiṣṭaḥ: Vashishta | vāmadevaḥ ca: Vamadeva, also | dvau: two | tām ṛṣisattamau: those, saints, of eminence | abhimatau: acquiescent | ṛtvijau: Vedic ritual-authorities | tathā apare: like that, furthermore | mantriṇaḥ ca: ministers, also [are there.] |

TRANSLATION

Two venerable saints of eminence are religious ministers for they are authorities in Vedic rituals, namely Vashishta and Vamadeva, who are the acquiescent with religious matters, and apart from these two some more religious ministers are also there to King Dasharatha. [1-7-4]

VERSE 5

सुयज्ञो अपि अथ जाबालिः काशय्पो अपि अथ गौतमः
मार्कण्डेयः तु दीर्घायुः तथा कात्यायनो द्विजः

suyajño api atha jābāliḥ kāśaypo api atha gautamaḥ
mārkaṇḍeyaḥ tu dīrghāyuḥ tathā kātyāyano dvijaḥ

SYNONYMS

, 6a| suyajño api: Suyajna, also | atha jābāliḥ: then, Jaabaali | kāśaypaḥ api: Kashyapa, also | atha gautamaḥ: then, Gautama | mārkaṇḍeyaḥ tu: Maarkandeya, also | dīrghāyuḥ tathā: Deerghaayu, like that | kātyāyanaḥ: Kaatyayana | dvijaḥ: Brahman | etaiḥ: along with them | brahmarṣibhiḥ: Brahma-sages | nityam: always | ṛtvijaḥ: ritual scholars | tasya paurvakāḥ: his ancestral pundits. |

TRANSLATION

Suyajna, Jabaali, Kaashyapa, Gautama, Maarkandeya, Deerghaayu, and then Kaatyayana are the scholarly Brahmans acting as religious ministers, and along with them there are also Brahma-sages who are always the ancestral ritual scholars for Dasharatha's family. [1-7-5, 6a]

VERSE 6

विद्या विनीता ह्रीमंतः कुशला नियतेन्द्रियाः

vidyā vinītā hrīmaṃtaḥ kuśalā niyatendriyāḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 8a vidyā vinīta: in scriptures, well-versed | hrīmantaḥ: shun bad deeds | kuśalāḥ: skilful | niyataḥ indriyaḥ: with regulated, senses | srīmantaḥ ca: affluent ones | mahāatmanaḥ: great, souls | śastra jñā: sciences, knowers of | dhṛḍha vikramaḥ: firmly, courageous | kītrimantaḥ: distinguished, ones | praṇihitāḥ: quiet souls | yathā vacana kārinaḥ: as per, their word, doers of [true to their word] | tejaḥ kśamā yaśaḥ: they have magnificence, patience, fame | prāptāḥ: valiant ones | smitaḥ pūrva abhibhāśana: smile, afore, while, they converse. |

TRANSLATION

All the ministers are well versed in scriptures, they shun bad deeds, skilful ones in their duties with their senses regulated. Those great souls are affluent, knowers of all sciences, firmly courageous, and they are distinguished and quiet-souls, and those ministers are true to their word. They are magnificent, patient and famed ones and they smile afore they converse. [1-7-6b, 8a]

VERSE 8

क्रोधात् काम अर्थ हेतोर् वा न ब्रूयुर् अनृतम् वचः

krodhāt kāma artha hetor vā na brūyur anṛtam vacaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 9| krodhāt kāma artha hetoḥ vā: in anger, in greed, for monetary, reason of, either | anṛtam: untruthful | vacaḥ: words | na brūyuḥ: never, they speak | teśām: to them | a viditam: unknown | kimcat: a little | sveṣu: in their own [country] | nāsti: not there | pareṣu vā: in other [countries,] either | kriyamāṇam: that is happening | kṟ^ritam: already happened | vā api: either, that too | cāreṇa: through agents | cikīrṣitam: that is going to be undertaken [by others, is not there. |

TRANSLATION

They never speak untruthful words in anger or in greed or for monetary reasons either. There is nothing unknown to them, even a little, in their own country or in the others either, or about everything that is happening or has happened, or that is going to happen, for they know them through agents. [1-7-8b, 9]

VERSE 10

कुशला व्य्वहारेषु सौहृदेषु परीक्षिताः
प्राप्त कालम् यथा दण्डम् धारयेयुः सुतेषु अपि

kuśalā vyvahāreṣu sauhṛdeṣu parīkṣitāḥ
prāpta kālam yathā daṇḍam dhārayeyuḥ suteṣu api

SYNONYMS

vyavahareṣu: in administration | kuśalāḥ: efficient | sauhṛdeṣu: in their friendships | parīkśitāḥ: well examined [by the king] | sutaḥ api: to their sons, even | prāpta kālam yathā: comes, time, according to [if situation demands] | daṇḍam dhārayeyu: punishment, they impose. |

TRANSLATION

They are efficient in administration and their friendships are well examined by the king, and those ministers impose punishment even on their own sons, if situation demands it. [1-7-10]

VERSE 11

कोश संग्रहणे युक्ता बलस्य च परिग्रहे
अहितम् च अपि पुरुषम् न हिंस्युर् अविदूषकम्

kośa saṃgrahaṇe yuktā balasya ca parigrahe
ahitam ca api puruṣam na hiṃsyur avidūṣakam

SYNONYMS

kośa samgrahaṇe yukatā: treasury, in collections, dutiful | balasya ca parigrahe: of armies, also, militarising | a hitam ca api puruṣam: unfriendly, also, even, a person | a vi dūśakam: not, really, blameworthy | na himsyuḥ: do not, torture. |

TRANSLATION

In collections to their treasury and to militarise their armies they are dutiful, even an unfriendly person will not be tortured, if he were not really blameworthy. [1-7-11]

VERSE 12

वीराः च नियतोत्साहा राज शास्त्रम् अनुष्ठिताः
शुचीनाम् रक्षितारः च नित्यम् विषय वासिनाम्

vīrāḥ ca niyatotsāhā rāja śāstram anuṣṭhitāḥ
śucīnām rakṣitāraḥ ca nityam viṣaya vāsinām

SYNONYMS

vīraḥ: valiant | niyata utsāha: engineered enthusiasm | rāja śāstram: political science | anuṣṭitāḥ: administrators of | viṣaya vāsinām: in kingdom, dwelling ones [subjects of kingdom.] | sucīnām: clean persons | nityam: at all times | rakśitāraḥ: protectors. |

TRANSLATION

They are valiant ones with engineered enthusiasm, administrators of political science, clean persons and protectors of subjects of their kingdom at all times. [1-7-12]

VERSE 13

ब्रह्म क्षत्रम् अहिंसन्तः ते कोशम् समपूरयन्
सुतीक्ष्ण दण्डाः संप्रेक्ष्य पुरुषस्य बलाबलम्

brahma kṣatram ahiṃsantaḥ te kośam samapūrayan
sutīkṣṇa daṇḍāḥ saṃprekṣya puruṣasya balābalam

SYNONYMS

brahma kśatram: Brahmans, Kshatriya-s | te a himsantaḥ: they, do not, persecute | kośam samapūrayan: treasury, to fill up | puruṣasya: person's | bala a balam: strength, weakness | samprekśya: after assessing | sutīkśṇa danḍāḥ: high, degree, punishment givers. |

TRANSLATION

They do not persecute Brahman-s and Kshatriya-s to fill-up the treasury, and high degree punishments will be given on assessing that person's, or the offender's strength and weakness. [1-7-13]

VERSE 14

शुचीनाम् एक बुद्धीनाम् सर्वेषाम् संप्रजानताम्
न आसीत् पुरे वा राष्ट्रे वा मृषा वादी नरः क्वचित्

śucīnām eka buddhīnām sarveṣām saṃprajānatām
na āsīt pure vā rāṣṭre vā mṛṣā vādī naraḥ kvacit

SYNONYMS

sucīnām: decent ones | ekabudhinām: one, minded, [in league with] | sarveṣām: all of them | samprajānatām: administering | kvacit: anywhere | pure vā rāṣṭre vā: in capital, or, in kingdom, either | mṛṣa vādī naraḥ: lies, speaking, person [liar] | na āsīt: is not, there. |

TRANSLATION

All of those ministers are clean administrators of kingdom, and are in league with each other, as such there is none anywhere, either in capital or in country, a liar. [1-7-14]

VERSE 15

कश्चिन् न दुष्टः तत्र आसीत् पर दार रतिर् नरः
प्रशांतम् सर्वम् एव असीत् राष्ट्रम् पुरवरम् च तत्

kaścin na duṣṭaḥ tatra āsīt para dāra ratir naraḥ
praśāṃtam sarvam eva asīt rāṣṭram puravaram ca tat

SYNONYMS

tatra: there | duṣṭaḥ: evil-minded | para dāra ratoḥ naraḥ: in other's, wife, interested, man | kascit na āsīt: anyone, none, is there | sarvam rāṣṭram: all, kingdom | tat pura varam ca: that, capital, also | praśāntam eva āsīt: undisturbed, only, it is there. |

TRANSLATION

None with an evil-mind or with an interest in other man's wife is there, and thus on whole in the kingdom and also like that in the capital, there is an undisturbed society. [1-7-15]

VERSE 16

सु वासस सु वेषाः च ते च सर्वे शुचिव्रताः
हितार्थः च नरेन्द्रस्य जाग्रतो नय चक्षुषा

su vāsasa su veṣāḥ ca te ca sarve śucivratāḥ
hitārthaḥ ca narendrasya jāgrato naya cakṣuṣā

SYNONYMS

te ca sarve: they, also, all | su vāsasaḥ: well dressed | su veśāḥ ca: well decorated, also | suci vratāḥ: decency, observing | narendrasya hitārthaḥ ca: of king, in the interest of, also, | naya cakśuṣā: truthful-eyed | jāgrataḥ: are diligent. |

TRANSLATION

Well-dressed and well-decorated and they the ministers of King Dasharatha, observe decency in the interest of the king and also of the kingdom, with diligence and with a truthful-eye. [1-7-16]

VERSE 17

गुरोर् गुण गृहीताः च प्रख्याताः च पराक्रमे
विदेशेषु अपि विज्ञाता सर्वतो बुद्धि निश्चयाः

guror guṇa gṛhītāḥ ca prakhyātāḥ ca parākrame
videśeṣu api vijñātā sarvato buddhi niścayāḥ

SYNONYMS

guroḥ: from their mentors, mother, father and teachers | guṇa gṛhītaḥ: good qualities, acquired | parākrame: expertise | prakyātaḥ: renowned | sarvataḥ: in all affairs | buddhi niscayaḥ: intellectual, determinations | videśeṣu api: in foreign countries, also | vijñātāḥ: famous. |

TRANSLATION

They acquired good qualities from their mentors and they are renowned by their expertise, and even in foreign countries they are famous for their intellectual determinations in all affairs. [1-7-17]

VERSE 18

अभितो गुणवन्तः च न च आसन् गुण वर्जिताः
सन्धि विग्रह तत्वज्ञाः प्रकृत्या संपदान्विताः
१७१८

abhito guṇavantaḥ ca na ca āsan guṇa varjitāḥ
sandhi vigraha tatvajñāḥ prakṛtyā saṃpadānvitāḥ
1-7-18

SYNONYMS

abhitaḥ: versatile | guṇavantaḥ ca: virtuous ones, also | na ca āsan: not, also, there is | guṇa varjitāḥ: virtue, discarded ones | sandhi: truce | vigraha: war | tatvajñaḥ: determiners | prakṛtyā: by nature | sampada anvitāḥ: opulence, possessing. |

TRANSLATION

Versatile and virtuous are they the ministers and there is none who discarded his virtuosity, and they are the determiners of truce or war, and by their nature they possess opulence. [1-7-18]

VERSE 19

मंत्र संवरणे शक्ताः शक्ताः सूक्ष्मासु बुद्धिषु
नीति शास्त्र विशेषज्ञाः सततम् प्रिय वादिनः

maṃtra saṃvaraṇe śaktāḥ śaktāḥ sūkṣmāsu buddhiṣu
nīti śāstra viśeṣajñāḥ satatam priya vādinaḥ

SYNONYMS

mantra samvaraṇe śaktāḥ: strategies, their confidentiality, capable of | śaktāḥ: capable of | sūkśmāsu: micro-affairs | buddhiṣu: applying mind | nīti śāstra viśeśa jñaḥ: moral, science, comprehensively, known | satatam priya vādinaḥ: always, gentle, articulators. |

TRANSLATION

They are capable to keep up the confidentialities of strategies, and also capable to apply their mind even in micro-affairs, and they know moral science comprehensively, and above all, they are gentle articulators. [1-7-19]

VERSE 20

ईदृशैः तैः अमात्यैः च राजा दशरथो।अनघः
उपपन्नो गुणोपेतैः अन्वशासद् वसुंधराम्

īdṛśaiḥ taiḥ amātyaiḥ ca rājā daśaratho|anaghaḥ
upapanno guṇopetaiḥ anvaśāsad vasuṃdharām

SYNONYMS

anaghaḥ = ekṣalted: [here, not sinless, but exalted king] | dasarathaḥ: Dasharatha | guṇa upetaiḥ: good-natured | īdṛśaiḥ: suchlike [that efficacious] | taiḥ amātyaiḥ ca: with those, ministers, also | upapannaḥ: accompanied with | vasundharām: the earth | anvaśāsat: ruled. |

TRANSLATION

Accompanied with such of those effectual and good-natured ministers the exalted king Dasharatha ruled the earth. [1-7-20]

VERSE 21

अवेक्षमाणः चारेण प्रजा धर्मेण रक्षयन्
प्रजानाम् पालनम् कुर्वन् अधर्मम् परिवर्जयन्

avekṣamāṇaḥ cāreṇa prajā dharmeṇa rakṣayan
prajānām pālanam kurvan adharmam parivarjayan

SYNONYMS

-21| puruṣa vyāghraḥ: manly, tiger [most generous among people] | cāreṇa avekśyamā: by spies, observing | prajāḥ: people | rakśyan: to protect | dharma: virtuously | prajānām pālanam kurvan: to people, good rule, to give | a dharmān pari varjayan: unrighteousness, entirely, giving up | vadānyaḥ: generous | satya sanagaraḥ: truthful, avowedly | triṣu lokeṣu viśrutaḥ: in three, worlds, renowned | pṛthvīm imām: the earth, this one | saḥ: he, Dasharatha | tatra: from there | śaśāsa: ruled. |

TRANSLATION

He that most generous one among men, Dasharatha, while observing through spies, and to protect people righteously, and to give a good governance to them, he forsook unrighteousness and became a generous king avowed to truthfulness alone, and thus he that Dasharatha ruled the earth, which rulership is renowned in all the three worlds. [1-7-21,22]

VERSE 23

न अध्यगच्छत् विशिष्टम् वा तुल्यम् वा शत्रुम् आत्मनः
मित्रवान् नत सामन्तः प्रताप हत कण्टकः
स शशास जगत् राजा दिवि देव पतिर् यथा

na adhyagacchat viśiṣṭam vā tulyam vā śatrum ātmanaḥ
mitravān nata sāmantaḥ pratāpa hata kaṇṭakaḥ
sa śaśāsa jagat rājā divi deva patir yathā

SYNONYMS

mitravān: one who has many friends | nata sāmanta: subdued, provincial kings | pratāpa hata kanṭakaḥ: by valour, eliminated, thorniness | ātmanaḥ: to himsef | viśiṣṭam vā: a superior one, either | tulyam vā: equal one, or | śatrum: an enemy | na adhyagacchat: not encountered | divi devapatiḥ yathā: in Heaven, Indra, like | saḥ śaśāsa jagat: he, ruled, the world. |

TRANSLATION

Emperor Dasharatha has not encountered either a superior or an equal in his kingship, and to him there are many friends, subdued are his provincial kings and eliminated is thorniness by his own valour. He thus ruled the world like Indra would in Heaven. [1-7-23]

VERSE 24

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे सप्तमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye bāla kāṇḍe saptamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

mantra hite niviṣṭaiḥ: in stratej~n, conducive, concerned | anuraktaiḥ: interested in | kuśalaiḥ: well skilled | samarthaiḥ: efficient | taiḥ mantribhiḥ: with those, ministers | vṛtaḥ: surrounded by, in the company of | saḥ: he | pārthiva: king | uditaḥ arkaḥ [yathā]: rising, Sun [as with] | yuktaḥ tejomayaiḥ gobhiḥ yuktaḥ: along with, resplendent, sunrays, having | dīptim avāpa: brilliance, obtained. |

TRANSLATION

In the company of those ministers, who are conducive to the strategies, interested in the king and subjects as well, skilful and efficient ones, he that King Dasharatha obtained brilliance, like the rising Sun along with resplendent sunrays. [1-7-24]