From a Shoreline to the Secretariat: What the Ramayan Teaches Us About Governance

India, January, 2026: I come from a small town in Haryana called Narnaul. Every month of Sawan, my grandfather would read the Ramayan, and I would sit beside him, absorbing the great story as it unfolded. The moment that always held me most was the debate on who should cross the sea to Lanka. Years have passed, but that scene still anchors me. In a world that keeps moving, those evenings taught me something quietly strategic: before the leap, there must be clarity, courage, and the right person stepping forward.

That beach meeting was not just a scene. It was a high-pressure war room with sand under the feet and destiny on the agenda. Everyone had strength, everyone had opinions, and yet there was hesitation. The kind you see in conference rooms when a file is marked URGENT and the table waits for someone to say, “I will take ownership.” The Vanar Sena had courage and numbers. What they needed was something more bureaucratic and more rare: role clarity.

Jambवान did not give Hanuman a pep talk. He diagnosed a capability gap that was not about skill, but about self-awareness. Hanuman, the most capable resource on that shoreline, was quiet because he had forgotten his mandate. Jambवान’s reminder was not praise. It was calibration. And in one conversation, the mission moved from debate to decision.

That is where the Ramayan begins to resemble governance. Not because it preaches, but because it understands how institutions and humans inside institutions actually function.

Hidden capability and the quiet art of mentorship

Hanuman’s awakening reminds us that capacity building is not always a training programme with banners and folders. Often it is one senior who sees potential, names it, and removes hesitation. In administration, the best seniors are not those who collect credit, but those who unlock talent.

Modern public systems increasingly try to unlock capability at scale. UPI is a strong example. It did not merely digitise payments. It mainstreamed economic participation with very low friction. NPCI reported over 20 billion UPI transactions in November 2025 alone, and government releases describe it as the world’s largest real-time payment system. That is Jambवान as infrastructure: a system telling millions, quietly and consistently, “You can do this.”

Bigger purpose over short-term wins

Once Hanuman remembers his strength, he does not chase a dramatic victory. He does reconnaissance, finds Sita Mata, delivers Shri Ram’s message, gathers intelligence, and returns. This is mission discipline.

In bureaucracy, the temptation to “solve it personally” is constant. But institutions do not run on heroics. They run on repeatable processes and coordinated execution. That is why frameworks like PM Gati Shakti focus on integrated planning and multi-ministry coordination. In Ramayan terms, it is not just about building a bridge. It is about ensuring the bridge fits the mission.

Credible deterrence and the protection of trust

“Bhaya bina hoye na preet” sounds harsh, but it carries a governance truth: trust needs protection. Diplomacy is tried, messages are sent, but deterrence exists so peace can exist.

Citizen-facing enforcement today is increasingly process-driven and technology-enabled. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the 1930 helpline allow faster reporting and response. “Chakshu” under Sanchar Saathi enables reporting of suspected fraud calls and messages. This is deterrence as system design, not theatre.

Why are files moral documents?

Dasharath ji keeping his word, even at personal cost, is administratively profound. Governance is a credibility business. Notifications, orders, contracts, and assurances are not just paperwork. They are commitments.

Any officer knows how one vague sentence can create years of litigation, and one precise paragraph can prevent a hundred grievances. Reforms like the faceless appeal ecosystem in income tax aim to standardise processes and reduce arbitrary variation. Clarity in process protects both citizen and state.

Authority and accountability

Shri Ram accepts exile because law cannot be optional for those at the top. If the ruler stands outside the rulebook, the rulebook becomes a decoration.

Efforts like DigiLocker reduce friction and increase verifiability in service delivery. That is state capacity expressing itself as respect for citizen time.

Back to the shoreline

That moment before Lanka captures governance in one frame: capability that needs activation, power that needs purpose, trust that needs protection, words that need integrity, and authority that needs humility.

Some stories do not age. They simply change the setting from a shoreline to a meeting room, and the stakes from Lanka to public trust.

About Dr. Aditya Prakash Bhardwaj

Dr. Aditya Prakash Bhardwaj is a 2015 batch Indian Revenue Service officer, currently serving as Joint Director, Intelligence and Criminal Investigation, New Delhi. A medical doctor turned civil servant, he focuses on evidence-based policy execution, institutional leadership, and citizen-centric governance. Views expressed are personal.