तमेवं गुणसम्पन्नं रामं सत्यपराक्रमम्।
ज्येष्ठं श्रेष्ठगुणैर्युक्तं प्रियं दशरथः सुतम्॥
प्रकृतीनां हितैर्युक्तं प्रकृतिप्रियकाम्यया।
यौवराज्येन संयोक्तुमैच्छत्प्रीत्या महीपतिः॥
tam evaṁ-guṇa-sampannaṁ rāmaṁ satya-parākramam
jyeṣṭhaṁ śreṣṭha-guṇair yuktaṁ priyaṁ daśarathaḥ sutam
prakṛtīnāṁ hitair yuktaṁ prakṛti-priya-kāmyayā
yauvarājyena saṁyoktum aicchat prītyā mahī-patiḥ
tam = that; evam-guṇa-sampannam = who was endowed with these qualities; rāmam = Rāma; satya-parākramam = whose prowess was unfailing; jyeṣṭham = and eldest; śreṣṭha-guṇaiḥ = with excellent qualities for political administration; yuktam = who was endowed; priyam = his dear; daśarathaḥ = Daśaratha; sutam = son; prakṛtīnām = his citizens; hitaiḥ yuktam = and who was engaged in benefiting; prakṛti-priya-kāmyayā = and with a desire to please his ministers; yauvarājyena saṁyoktum = to install; aicchat = desired; prītyā = out of love; mahī-patiḥ = king.
Out of love and with a desire to please his ministers, King Daśaratha desired to install that Rāma, his dear and eldest son who was endowed with these qualities, whose prowess was unfailing, who was endowed with excellent qualities for political administration and who was engaged in benefiting his citizens.
[35] prakṛtiḥ pañca-bhūteṣu svabhāve mūla-kāraṇe / chandaḥ-kāraṇa-guhyeṣu janmāmātyādi-mātṛṣu.
1 See Kāmandakīya Nīti-sāra, Chapters 14-16, for a detailed description of each of these.
The very name Daśaratha indicates that Daśaratha was capable of driving his chariot in all the ten directions [in war]. That person whose chariot was never obstructed gave his kingdom to Rāma fearlessly, with no intention of taking it back.
Daśaratha gave his kingdom to Lord Rāma who was famous for being enriched with all auspicious qualities enlisted till now, that is, the [factual] owner and master of all. Rāma’s prowess was unfailing, that is, He was capable of protecting all. Śrī Rāmacandra was also eligible to receive the kingdom on account of being King Daśaratha’s eldest son.
Lord Rāma was also endowed with excellent features, that is, He was endowed with the ability to take recourse to the six expedients described in the Artha-śāstra as summarized by Kāmandaka:
(1) sandhi or political alliance, (2) vigraha or political hostility, (3) yāna or military march, (4) āsana or halt in such a march, (5) dvaidhī-bhāva or diplomacy, and (6) saṁśraya or taking shelter of others.1
Rāma was always dear to Daśaratha. Therefore, Daśaratha’s desire to bestow the kingdom upon Rāma was not due to his temporary affection upon Him.
All of the citizens, including the ministers, were favorable to Daśaratha’s decision, for Lord Rāma was always engaged in benefiting the citizens of the kingdom. In order to please them, Daśaratha reached his decision to give the kingdom to Rāma after discussing with his senior ministers; therefore, his decision was unassailable. In this context, the word prakṛti means “citizens” and “ministers” according to Vaijayantī-kośa [35].
King Daśaratha wanted to make Śrī Rāmacandra into his yuvarāja, “heir apparent,” which refers to a son ceremonially anointed to take charge of all affairs of the kingdom while his father is running the kingdom. The king had begun preparations for this event.