Valmiki Ramayana 2.109.28 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 28

सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्

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

Devanagari script

कर्मभूमिमां प्राप्य कर्तव्यं कर्म यच्छुभम्।अग्निर्वायुश्च सोमश्च कर्मणां फलभागिनः।।2.109.28।।

Transliteration

karmabhūmim imāṃ prāpya kartavyaṃ karma yac chubham |

agnir vāyuś ca somaś ca karmaṇāṃ phala-bhāginaḥ || 2.109.28 ||

Translation

In dieses «Feld des Handelns» gelangt, soll man die heilsame Pflicht tun, die zu tun ist; denn Agni, Vāyu und Soma haben Anteil an den Früchten der Riten.

Word by Word

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of āhṛtya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• क्रतूनाम्: of sacrifices
• क्रतूनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Of sacrifices)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• आहृत्य: having performed/obtained
• आहृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having brought/obtained; (here) having performed/collected’

• देवराट्: king of the gods (Indra)
• देवराट्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानां राट्)

• त्रिदिवम्: heaven (threefold heaven)
• त्रिदिवम्: Karma (कर्म/Goal as object with gataḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘gone’

• तपांसि: austerities
• तपांसि: Karma (कर्म/Object of āsthāya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• उग्राणि: intense
• उग्राणि: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तपांसि इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• आस्थाय: having undertaken
• आस्थाय: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having resorted to/undertaken’

• दिवम्: heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (कर्म/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• याताः: attained/went
• याताः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘gone/attained’

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Context

Having reached this land of (religious) actions, one should perform auspicious rites. As fruit of their actions, Agni, Vayu and Soma have obtained their status.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Vāyu
• Soma

FAQs

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

Dharma is action-oriented: life is a karmabhūmi where auspicious duties must be performed, and ritual-moral causality (karma and its fruits) is affirmed.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma argues against skepticism by invoking the traditional doctrine that rites yield results and are woven into cosmic order, acknowledged even through the deities named.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for duty: Rāma stresses commitment to prescribed action rather than abandoning dharma for convenience.