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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.1.19

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 1: Daśaratha proposes Rāma as heir. With Bharata & Śatrughna in Kekaya, Daśaratha weighs Rāma’s fitness to rule and summons an assembly

In the sequence: the narrator describes the qualities that make Rāma fit to rule: he speaks kindly, remembers kindness rather than injuries, learns from elders, understands duty and government, manages revenue and expenditure, and is accomplished in warfare

2.1.19

dharmārthakāmatattvajñaḥ smṛtimān pratibhāvanān
laukike samayācare kṛtakalpo viśāradaḥ

A knower of the true nature of dharma, artha, and kāma, of retentive memory and quick wit, he was accomplished and expert in worldly custom and usage.

Words: dharmārthakāmatattvajñaḥ — knowing the essence of dharma, artha, and kāma; smṛtimān — of retentive memory; pratibhāvanān — of ready wit, resourceful; laukike — in worldly (matters); samayācare — in custom and usage; kṛtakalpo — accomplished, well-prepared; viśāradaḥ — expert, skilled

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.