Shloka 356

Devanagari script

रामे वालिवधाद्‌ यद्वदेव॑ द्रोणे निपातिते । अत: छिपकर वालीका वध करनेके कारण जैसे श्रीरामचन्द्रजीको अपयश मिला, उसी प्रकार झूठ बोलकर द्रोणाचार्यको मरवा देनेके कारण चराचर प्राणियोंसहित तीनों लोकोंमें आपकी अकीर्ति चिरस्थायिनी हो जायगी

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | rāme vālivadhād yadvat eva droṇe nipātite | ataḥ chadmanā vālika-vadha-kāraṇāt yathā śrīrāmacandrajīko 'payaśo milā, tathā mṛṣā-vacanena droṇācāryaṃ mārayitvā carācara-prāṇi-sahiteṣu triṣu lokeṣu tava akīrtiś cirasthāyinī bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „So wie Rāma wegen der Tötung Vālis Tadel auf sich zog, ebenso wird, wenn Droṇa durch List zu Fall gebracht wird, deine Schmach lange währen: Denn weil du jenen ‘Vālika’ (Droṇa) durch Lüge in den Tod getrieben hast, wird dein übler Ruf in den drei Welten, mitsamt allen bewegten und unbewegten Wesen, fortbestehen.“

Word by Word

रामेin/with regard to Rama

वालि-वधात्from (the act of) killing Vali

यत्which/that (fact)

वत्like, as

एवindeed, just

द्रोणेin/with regard to Drona

निपातितेwhen (he was) felled/slain

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Rāma (Śrī Rāmacandra)

Vāli

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

three worlds (trailokya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, victory gained through falsehood and concealment can stain one’s dharma; lasting reputation (kīrti/akīrti) is treated as a moral consequence extending beyond immediate success.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna warns that if Droṇa is made to fall through a lie, the instigator will incur enduring disgrace—likened to the traditional criticism of Rāma for the manner of Vāli’s killing.