Shloka 11

वाली–रामसंवादः

Rama’s Justification to Vali on Rājadharma

Devanagari script

ते वयं धर्मविभ्रष्टं स्वधर्मे परमे स्थिताः।भरताज्ञां पुरस्कृत्य निगृह्णीमो यथाविधि।।

Transliteration

te vayaṃ dharmavibhraṣṭaṃ svadharme parame sthitāḥ | bharatājñāṃ puraskṛtya nigṛhṇīmo yathāvidhi ||

Translation

Wir, fest in unserer höchsten Pflicht gegründet, stellen Bharatas Befehl voran und zügeln und bestrafen nach Vorschrift den, der vom Dharma abgewichen ist.

Word by Word

• te: we (those)
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; demonstrative 'those/we (as such)'

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Nominative, Plural

• dharma-vibhraṣṭam: one who has strayed from dharma
• dharma-vibhraṣṭam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhraṣṭa (कृदन्त, √bhraṃś/√bhraś, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष 'dharmāt vibhraṣṭaḥ' = fallen from dharma; object of nigṛhṇīmaḥ

• sva-dharme: in one’s own duty
• sva-dharme: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular; तत्पुरुष 'one's own duty'

• parame: supreme
• parame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular; agrees with svadharme

• sthitāḥ: established
• sthitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु √sthā) + sthita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) used adjectivally; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; refers to te vayam

• bharata-ājñām: Bharata’s command
• bharata-ājñām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक) + ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष 'bharatasya ājñā'

• puraskṛtya: having placed foremost / taking as authority
• puraskṛtya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras (अव्यय) + kṛ (धातु √kṛ)
• Form: Ktvānta absolutive (क्त्वा) from causative/compound verb 'puraskṛ' = 'to place in front, to take as authority'; indeclinable

• nigṛhṇīmaḥ: we restrain/punish
• nigṛhṇīmaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + grah (धातु √grah)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Parasmaipada; Uttama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

• yathā-vidhi: according to the prescribed rule
• yathā-vidhi: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound used adverbially; indeclinable; meaning 'according to rule'

Context

'By the command of Bharata ,all of us are devoted to our duty of upholding dharma and virtue and duly punish those who deviate from the path of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• dharma

FAQs

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

Dharma includes enforcement: those committed to svadharma must restrain adharma according to due procedure (yathāvidhi), under legitimate authority (Bharata’s command).

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma continues his justification, presenting himself and his side as agents of lawful restraint against dharma-violators.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Commitment to duty and lawful governance—acting not from personal impulse but under a recognized moral-political mandate.