Post No. 11,752
Date uploaded in London – – 6 FEBRUARY 2023
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Valmiki gives a list of good virtues of the 8 ministers in Ram Rajya. Sangam Tamils who lived 2000 years ago in Tamil Nadu followed them as well. See my annotations with the slokas/couplets.
अष्टौ बभूवुर्वीरस्य तस्यामात्या यशस्विन: ।
शुचयश्चानुरक्ताश्च राजकृत्येषु नित्यश: ।।1.7.2।। BALA KANDA, VALMIKI RAMAYANA
वीरस्य of the mighty, यशस्विन: glorious, तस्य for that king Dasaratha, शुचय: free from blemish in dealings, नित्यशः ever, राजकृत्येषु in royal duties, अनुरक्ताश्च loyally devoted, अष्टौ eight, अमात्या: ministers, बभूवु: had been employed.
The mighty and glorious (king Dasaratha) had eight ministers who were free from blemish in their dealings and ever devoted to royal duties.
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धृष्टिर्जयन्तो विजयस्सिद्धार्थो ह्यर्थसाधक: ।
अशोको मन्त्रपालश्च सुमन्त्रश्चाष्टमोऽभवत् ।।1.7.3।।
धृष्टि: Dhrishti, जयन्त: Jayanta, विजय: Vijaya, सिद्धार्थ: Siddhartha, अर्थसाधक: Arthasadhaka, अशोक: Ashoka, मन्त्रपालश्च Mantrapala, सुमन्त्रः Sumantra, अष्टम: eigth, अभवत् were present.
The eight ministers were Dhrishti, Jayanta,Vijaya, Siddhartha, Arthasadhaka, Ashoka, Mantrapala and Sumantra.
Number 8 is a lucky number. So Tamils also followed Ram Rajya policy. Veera Shivaji of Hindu Rashtra, Krishna Devaraya of Vijaya Nagara Empire and Sangam Tamils had eight-member cabinet. In the North it was called ASHTA PRADHAN and in the south it was called EN PERAAYAM. It means eight-member cabinet. The policy is that running a government with a cabinet should be always in odd number. Including the king it would be Nine. If the ministry is divided equally in decision making, the king would use his vote to give majority. It is followed in several countries where the Speaker’s vote will decide the fate of a resolution in case of 50/50 voting.
Tamil References:
Silappadikaram – 26-38; Manimekalai – 1-17
Tamils also had Five Member Cabinet called ‘Aim perum kuzu’.
Tamil references : Silappadikaram – 3-126; Manimekalai – at least in ten places.
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TWO PRIESTS
ऋत्विजौ द्वावभिमतौ तस्याऽऽस्तामृषिसत्तमौ ।
वसिष्ठो वामदेवश्च मन्त्रिणश्च तथापरे ।।1.7.4।।
तस्य for him, वसिष्ठ: Vasihta, वामदेव: च and Vamadeva, द्वौ two, ऋषिसत्तमौ excellent rishis, अभिमतौ highly desired, ऋत्विजौ family priests, आस्ताम् existed, तथा and, अपरे some other, मन्त्रिणश्च counsellors also.
He had two well chosen excellent rishis, Vasishta and Vamadeva, as family priests besides some other counsellors.
MY COMMENTS
Tamils also had priests. If the kings die without war wounds, they could not enter Heroes’ Heaven/ Veera Swarga . So Sangam poem says the Brahmins spread the Darbha grass and laid the body of the dead king on it and performed atonement rituals..
Another reference is about the Deva Guru Brihaspati/ Jupiter and Asura Guru Sukra Acharya/ Venus.
Tamil Reference: Silappadikaram – 16-67 (Iru Muthu Kuravar)
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VIRTUES
विद्याविनीता ह्रीमन्त: कुशला नियतेन्द्रिया: ।
श्रीमन्तश्च महात्मानश्शास्त्रज्ञा दृढविक्रमा: ।।1.7.5।।
कीर्तिमन्त: प्रणिहिता: यथावचनकारिण: ।
तेज: क्षमायश:प्राप्ता स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिण: ।।1.7.6।।
विद्याविनीता: well educated in all branches of knowledge, ह्रीमन्त: those who feel ashamed to do unjust acts, कुशला: proficient, नियतेन्द्रिया: those having restrained senses, श्रीमन्तश्च wealthy, महात्मान: illustrious, शास्त्रज्ञा: versed in shastras, दृढविक्रमा: steadfast in prowess, कीर्तिमन्त: renowned, प्रणिहिता: fixing their attention on their thoughts, यथावचनकारिण: doing in accordance with word, तेज:क्षमायश:प्राप्ता: possessing splendour forgiveness and fame, स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिण: speaking with a smile.
They were well educated in all branches of knowledge and deemed unjust acts shameful. They were renowned, proficient, versed in sastras, wealthy and magnanimous. They had their senses restrained and their deeds were in accordance with their words. They acted with determination. They were brilliant, forgiving and reputed. And always spoke with a smile.
MY COMMENTS
There is a beautiful poem in Sangam book Purananuru (verse No.182) sung by Ilam Peru Vazuthi. He was a Pandya king who lost his life while he was travelling by ship in Indian Ocean. Two Brahmin priests Agastya and Kaundinya took Pandya kings to South East Asia and established Hindu Empire which lasted for 1500 years until Muslims destroyed them. We have proofs for this in Sri Maran inscription in Vietnam (Champa) and Mula Varman Inscription deep inside the forests of Borneo in Indonesia. That Pandya king repeated whatever Valmiki said above.
Ilam Peru Vazuthi said:
“Tamils will give their own life if it is an act that leads to fame. They wont accept a bribe that contains the wealth of entire world if it is an act that leads to blemish/ disgrace/ ill fame. Even if Indra’s Amrit is received by Tamils, they wont drink it without sharing.”
Pandya’s reference to Indra’s Amrit in Sanskrit shows Tamils were great and ardent Hindus. He gave the list of other virtues as well in the same Tamil poem.
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NO BRIBES ACCEPTED
क्रोधात्कामार्थहेतोर्वा न ब्रूयुरनृतं वच: ।
तेषामविदितं किञ्चित्स्वेषु नास्ति परेषु वा ।
क्रियमाणं कृतं वापि चारेणापि चिकीर्षितम् ।।1.7.7।।
क्रोधात् either in anger, कामार्थहेतोर्वा or for the reason of pecuniary gains or for desire, अनृतम् untruth or unjust, वच: word, न ब्रूयु: do not utter, स्वेषु in the midst of their own, परेषु वा or among their enemies, क्रियमाणम् what was being done, कृतं वापि or what had been done, चिकीर्षितम् or intended to be done, तेषाम् for them, चारेण through spies, अविदितम् unknown, किञ्चित् even little, नास्ति was not there.
Either in anger or for pecuniary gains or for fulfilment of desire, they never uttered an untrue or unjust word. In the midst of their own people or among their enemies, they knew, through spies everything being done or had been done or intended to be done in future.
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EVEN MINISTERS’ SONS ARE PUNISHED; NO NEPOTISM
कुशला व्यवहारेषु सौहृदेषु परीक्षिता: ।
प्राप्तकालं तु ते दण्डं धारयेयुस्सुतेष्वपि ।।1.7.8।।
ते those ministers, व्यवहारेषु in their dealings, कुशला: competent, सौहृदेषु in friendship, परीक्षिता: tested, सुतेष्वपि even in the matter of sons, प्राप्तकालम् appropriately, दण्डम् punishment, धारयेयु: used to impose.
They knew how to deal (with people). They were true to their friends. They used to impose appropriate punishment even on their own sons.
MY COMMENTS
Tamils punished even King’s own son when he committed blunders. When Manu Neethi Choza ruled from Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu, his son drove the chariot in great speed and a calf got crushed under the wheels. Its mother cow came to the palace and rang the Calling Bell. Ancient Hindu kings had Calling Bells erected in front of the palaces according to Sanskrit literature. Tamil King who had never heard that sound came to know that a cow shedding tears did this. After hearing the full report of the accident, he ordered his son to be crushed under the wheels of the same chariot. He followed Manu Smrti and so he is called MANU NEETHI CHOZA. His statues are in Madras High Court and Tiruvarur.
When the son of a Bengal King did crimes he was banished to Sri Lanka and that son VIJAYA established a kingdom in Sri Lanka.
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NO FALSE CASES FILED IN POLICE STATIONS
कोशसङ्ग्रहणे युक्ता बलस्य च परिग्रहे ।
अहितं चापि पुरुषं न विहिंस्युरदूषकम् ।।1.7.9।।
कोशसङ्ग्रहणे in replenishing the exchequer, बलस्य army’s, परिग्रहे च also holding, युक्ता: experts, अदूषकम् who did not commit any offence, अहितं पुरुषमपि those who were not wellw ishers, न विहिंस्यु: never inflicted with punishment.
They were experts in replenishing the exchequer and in collecting the army. They never inflicted any punishment even on those who were not their well wishers, if they did not commit any offence.
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वीराश्च नियतोत्साहा राजशास्त्रमनुष्ठिता: ।
शुचीनां रक्षितारश्च नित्यं विषयवासिनाम् ।।1.7.10।।
वीराश्च mighty and powerful, नियतोत्साहा: possessing steady perseverance, राजशास्त्रम् state policy, अनुष्ठिता: followed, विषयवासिनाम् living in the state, शुचीनाम् of virtuous people, नित्यम् always, रक्षितारश्च protectors.
They were heroic. They possessed steady perseverance. They followed the state policy and always protected the virtuous people living in the state.
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THOGHT WORD AND DEED= TRI KARANA SUDDHI
ब्रह्म क्षत्रमहिंसन्तस्ते कोशं समपूरयन् ।
सुतीक्ष्णदण्डास्संप्रेक्ष्य पुरुषस्य बलाबलम् ।।1.7.11।।
ब्रह्म brahmanas, क्षत्रम् kshatriyas, अहिंसन्त: did not cause pain (in thought, word and deed), ते they, कोशम् treasury, समपूरयन् filled, पुरुषस्य for a person, बलाबलम् strength and weakness, सम्प्रेक्ष्य investigating, सुतीक्ष्णदण्डा: inflicted stringent punishments.
While ensuring that they did not cause pain to brahmanas and kshatriyas (in thought, word and deed), they filled the treasury. They inflicted stringent punishments on a man after examining his strength and weakness.
CHERA KING SENGUTTUVAN
MY COMMENTS
Kanchi Paramacharya (1894-1994), Shankaracharya of Kamakoti Peetam, said that the Parsi saint Zoroaster was actually a saint from Saurashtra. (wrongly spelt Zoroaster)
I supported that theory with two more arguments. This ‘Thought Word and Deed’ is seen throughout Bhagavad Gita and Tamil literature. Zoroaster’s Zend Avesta also repeated it. Nowhere else in the world, this Tri Karana Sudhdhi / Three Fold Purity is seen.
My second arguments is that they came back to Gujarat from Iran when the Muslims massacred Parsis. They considered Saurashtra/ Gujarat as their own original mother land.
(I have given more linguistic points in my research articles on Zend Avesta)
–SUBHAM—
Tags- Dasaratha, Eight Ministers, Virtues, Tamils, Manu Neethi Choza, Purananuru verse 182, Pandya king, Ilam peru vazuthi
Tamil and Vedas 