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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.31.20

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 31: Śūrpaṇakhā rebukes Rāvaṇa. She exposes his ignorance of Janasthāna’s destruction and warns that pleasure, failed intelligence and neglect will cost him his Kingdom

In the sequence: she contrasts him with a vigilant, self-controlled King who remains alert through good policy even while asleep

3.31.20

nayanābhyāṃ prasupto 'pi jāgarti nayacakṣuṣā
vyaktakrodhaprasādaś ca sa rājā pūjyate janaiḥ

Even when asleep with his two eyes, he keeps awake through the eye of policy; and the king whose wrath and favour are plainly shown is honoured by the people.

Words: nayanābhyāṃ — with (his) two eyes; prasupto 'pi — even though asleep; jāgarti — keeps awake; nayacakṣuṣā — with the eye of policy; vyaktakrodhaprasādaś ca — and whose wrath and favour are manifest; sa rājā — that king; pūjyate — is honoured; janaiḥ — by the people

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.