Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 100: Rāma Instructs Bharata About the Duties of a KingText 2.100.26
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 100: Rāma Instructs Bharata About the Duties of a King
Text 2.100.26
कच्चिन्मुख्या महत्स्वेव मध्यमेषु च मध्यमाः।
जघन्यास्तु जघन्येषु भृत्याः कर्मसु योजिताः॥
kaccin mukhyā mahatsv eva madhyameṣu ca madhyamāḥ
jaghanyās tu jaghanyeṣu bhṛtyāḥ karmasu yojitāḥ
kaccit = have You; mukhyāḥ = superior; mahatsu eva = in superior; madhyameṣu = in intermediate; ca = and; madhyamāḥ = intermediate; jaghanyāḥ tu = inferior; jaghanyeṣu = in inferior; bhṛtyāḥ = servants; karmasu = tasks; yojitāḥ = engaged.
Have You engaged superior servants in superior tasks, intermediate servants in intermediate tasks and inferior servants in inferior tasks?
Superior servants are meant to be engaged in superior tasks such as talking [to authorities], serving [them] meals and so on; they should not be engaged in intermediate or inferior tasks. Intermediate servants are meant to be engaged in bringing bed, seats and so on [for authorities], not in superior or inferior tasks. Inferior servants are meant to be engaged in washing the feet, bringing the shoes, massaging the feet [of the authorities] and so on, not in superior or intermediate tasks. It is implied that otherwise it leads to great and violent destruction.
Rāma then extends [this consideration] to the ministers in the next verse.