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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.31.9
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 argues that a ruler who neglects business, intelligence, and the protection of his territory will lose both authority and Kingdom
3.31.9
yasmāt paśyanti dūrasthān sarvān arthān narādhipāḥ
cāreṇa tasmād ucyante rājāno dīrghacakṣuṣaḥ
Because kings behold all matters, even distant ones, by means of spies, they are therefore called 'the far-sighted.'
Words: yasmāt — because; paśyanti — see, behold; dūrasthān — situated far off; sarvān — all; arthān — matters, affairs; narādhipāḥ — kings (lords of men); cāreṇa — by means of a spy; tasmād — therefore; ucyante — are called; rājāno — kings; dīrghacakṣuṣaḥ — the far-sighted (long-eyed)
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.