Shloka 16

वाली–रामसंवादः

Rama’s Justification to Vali on Rājadharma

Devanagari script

चपलश्चपलैस्सार्धं वानरैरकृतात्मभिः।जात्यन्ध इव जात्यन्धैर्मन्त्रयन् प्रेक्षसे नु किम्।।

Transliteration

capalaś capalaiḥ sārdhaṁ vānarair akṛtātmabhiḥ | jātyandha iva jātyandhair mantrayan prekṣase nu kim ||

Translation

Selbst wankelmütig, und Rat suchend bei wankelmütigen, unbeherrschten Affen, bist du wie ein Blindgeborener, den Blindgeborene führen — welche Einsicht erwartest du?

Word by Word

• capalaḥ: fickle (one)
• capalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: capala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; used substantively addressing/depicting ‘you’

• capalaiḥ: with the fickle ones
• capalaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Instrumental of accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: capala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/तृतीया), Bahuvacana

• sārdham: together with
• sārdham: Saha (सह/Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upasarga-sadṛśa adverb meaning ‘together/along with’

• vānaraiḥ: with monkeys
• vānaraiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• akṛta-ātmabhiḥ: with the undisciplined (petty-minded)
• akṛta-ātmabhiḥ: Sahakāraka-anuguṇa (सहकारक-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ (धातु), past participle with negation) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; samāsa: nañ-tatpuruṣa ‘akṛta ātmā yeṣām’ (undisciplined/petty-minded); qualifies ‘vānaraiḥ’

• jātyandhaḥ: one blind from birth
• jātyandhaḥ: Upamāna (उपमान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; samāsa: tatpuruṣa ‘jātyā andhaḥ’ (blind by birth)

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upamā-vācaka (comparative particle)

• jātyandhaiḥ: with those blind from birth
• jātyandhaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; accompaniment with ‘sārdham’ implied

• mantrayan: counselling/consulting
• mantrayan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/Concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mantr मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (Present active participle/शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; parasmaipada; agrees with implied ‘tvam’

• prekṣase: you look/consider
• prekṣase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ ईक्ष् (धातु) with preverb pra- (प्र)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यमपुरुष), Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• nu: indeed/then (question particle)
• nu: Prayojaka-nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; interrogative/emphatic particle (प्रश्न/निपात)

• kim: why/for what
• kim: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; interrogative pronoun used adverbially (‘for what purpose’)

Context

'You are fickle by nature. Your consultants are frivolous, petty-minded monkeys. It is like one born blind suppporting another blind by birth. What do you know (about dharma)?

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Vali
• Vanaras (monkeys)

FAQs

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

Right action depends on disciplined judgment and wise counsel; moral blindness is reinforced by surrounding oneself with similarly unprincipled advisors.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama rebukes Vali’s decision-making, implying that Vali’s ethical confusion is worsened by poor company and counsel.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment in choosing advisers—an essential virtue of rāja-dharma.