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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.7.4
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 7: The ministers who sustain the Kingdom. Ministers and priests advise Daśaratha, gather intelligence, maintain the treasury and army, and administer justice without favour
In the sequence: the narrator describes their learning, courage, restraint, honesty, and attention to duty
1.7.4
śrīmantaś ca mahātmānaḥ śāstrajñā dṛḍhavikramāḥ
kīrtimantaḥ praṇihitā yathā vacanakāriṇaḥ
Illustrious and great-souled, learned in the śāstras, of firm valour, renowned, attentive, and duly carrying out (the king's) commands,
Words: śrīmantaś — illustrious, prosperous; ca — and; mahātmānaḥ — great-souled; śāstrajñā — learned in the śāstras; dṛḍhavikramāḥ — of firm valour; kīrtimantaḥ — renowned, famous; praṇihitā — attentive, intent; yathā — duly, as is fitting; vacanakāriṇaḥ — carrying out (his) command
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.