Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 23

सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्

Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali

Devanagari script

श्रेष्ठं ह्यनार्यमेव स्याद्यद्भवानवधार्य माम्।आह युक्ति करैर्वाक्यैरिदं भद्रं कुरुष्व ह।।2.109.23।।

Transliteration

śreṣṭhaṁ hy anāryam eva syād yad bhavān avadhārya mām |

āha yukti-karair vākyair idaṁ bhadraṁ kuruṣva ha ||2.109.23||

Translation

হে ভদ্ৰ! তুমি যুক্তিকৰ বাক্যৰে মোক যি ‘শ্ৰেষ্ঠ’ বুলি অৱধাৰণা কৰি ‘এই ভদ্ৰ কৰ্ম কৰ’ বুলি কৈছা, সেয়া প্ৰকৃততে অনাৰ্য—অশোভন—হ’ব।

Word by Word

• श्रेष्ठम्: Excellent/Best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Object Attribute
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha)
• Form: Accusative Singular Neuter (Dvitiya Vibhakti, Ekavachana)

• हि: Indeed/For
• हि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (hi)
• Form: Particle (Nipata)

• अनार्यम्: Ignoble/Unworthy
• अनार्यम्: Predicate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनार्य (anārya)
• Form: Nominative Singular Neuter (Prathama Vibhakti, Ekavachana); Nañ Tatpurusha (Negative Compound)

• एव: Only/Indeed
• एव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (eva)
• Form: Particle (Nipata)

• स्यात्: It would be/Should be
• स्यात्: Verb
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (as)
• Form: Vidhilin Lakara (Potential Mood), Prathama Purusha (3rd Person), Ekavachana (Singular)

• यत्: That which
• यत्: Object
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (yad)
• Form: Accusative Singular Neuter (Dvitiya Vibhakti, Ekavachana); Relative Pronoun

• भवान्: You (Honorific)
• भवान्: Agent (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (bhavat)
• Form: Nominative Singular Masculine (Prathama Vibhakti, Ekavachana); Honorific Pronoun

• अवधार्य: Having decided/Having considered
• अवधार्य: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवधृ (avadhṛ)
• Form: Lyap Pratyaya (Absolutive/Gerund); ava + dhṛ + ṇic + lyap

• माम्: To me
• माम्: Object
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (asmad)
• Form: Accusative Singular (Dvitiya Vibhakti, Ekavachana)

• आह: Said
• आह: Verb
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (brū)
• Form: Lit Lakara (Perfect Tense), Prathama Purusha (3rd Person), Ekavachana (Singular); Defective verb form

• युक्तिकरैः: With clever/reasoning
• युक्तिकरैः: Instrument Attribute
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्तिकर (yuktikara)
• Form: Instrumental Plural Neuter (Tritiya Vibhakti, Bahuvachana); Upapada Tatpurusha

• वाक्यैः: With words/statements
• वाक्यैः: Instrument
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (vākya)
• Form: Instrumental Plural Neuter (Tritiya Vibhakti, Bahuvachana)

• इदम्: This
• इदम्: Object
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (idam)
• Form: Accusative Singular Neuter (Dvitiya Vibhakti, Ekavachana)

• भद्रम्: Auspicious/Good
• भद्रम्: Object Attribute
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भद्र (bhadra)
• Form: Accusative Singular Neuter (Dvitiya Vibhakti, Ekavachana)

• कुरुष्व: Do/Pursue
• कुरुष्व: Verb
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (kṛ)
• Form: Lot Lakara (Imperative Mood), Madhyama Purusha (2nd Person), Ekavachana (Singular), Atmanepada

• ह: Indeed (Emphatic)
• ह: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (ha)
• Form: Particle (Nipata)

Context

The course you thought excellent and 'this auspicious act' you urged me in a cleverly-worded statement to perform is ignoble indeed.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata (implied by address)

FAQs

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

Sophisticated reasoning cannot convert an unrighteous act into righteousness; dharma is measured by integrity, not rhetoric.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma critiques Bharata’s persuasive appeal to return, calling it incompatible with noble conduct because it conflicts with vow and truth.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Straightforwardness and moral clarity: rejecting ‘clever’ justifications for breaking dharma.