Shloka 9

अरण्यकाण्डे एकोनत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sarga 29: Rama’s Admonition to Khara and the Shattering of the Mace

Devanagari script

नचिरात्प्राप्यते लोके पापानां कर्मणां फलम्।सविषाणामिवान्नानां भुक्तानां क्षणदाचर।।।।

Transliteration

na cirāt prāpyate loke pāpānāṃ karmaṇāṃ phalam |

saviṣāṇām ivānnānāṃ bhuktānāṃ kṣaṇadācara ||

Translation

يا سائرَ الليل، إنّ ثمرة الأفعال الآثمة تُنال في هذا العالم عمّا قريب، كأثر طعامٍ مُدسوسٍ فيه السمّ إذا أُكِل.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation scope)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• cirāt: after long (time)
• cirāt: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'after a long time' → idiomatically 'after long/late' (here with na = 'not after long' = soon)

• prāpyate: is obtained
• prāpyate: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• pāpānām: of sins/sinful (ones)
• pāpānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• karmaṇām: of actions
• karmaṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• phalam: the result
• phalam: Karta (कर्ता/grammatical subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृस्थानी (subject in passive)

• saviṣāṇām: of poisonous
• saviṣāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive in simile)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (sa + viṣa = 'with poison/poisonous'); annānām-विशेषणम्

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय

• annānām: of foods
• annānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; उपमान-सम्बन्ध

• bhuktānām: of eaten
• bhuktānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (भुज् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; annānām-विशेषणम् ('of eaten foods')

• kṣaṇadācara: O night-ranger
• kṣaṇadācara: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇadā-cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kṣaṇadāyāḥ caraḥ = 'one who moves at night')

Context

O night-ranger ! people will reap the result of their sinful actions in this world soon like one eating poisonous food.

Characters & Entities

• viṣa (poison)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Wrongdoing is self-injurious: adharma carries consequences that can manifest quickly, just as poison acts soon after being consumed.

What is the narrative situation?

The rākṣasa is warned that consequences are not merely future or abstract; they may arise swiftly within worldly life.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for moral causality and restraint—avoiding actions that inevitably rebound upon the doer.