Shloka 22

वाली–रामसंवादः

Rama’s Justification to Vali on Rājadharma

Devanagari script

न हि ते मर्षये पापं क्षत्रियोऽहं कुलोद्भवः।औरसीं भगिनीं वापि भार्यां वाप्यनुजस्य यः।।प्रचरेत नरः कामात्तस्य दण्डो वधः स्मृतः।

Transliteration

na hi te marṣaye pāpaṃ kṣatriyo 'haṃ kulodbhavaḥ | aurasīṃ bhaginīṃ vāpi bhāryāṃ vāpy anujasya yaḥ || pracaret naraḥ kāmāt tasya daṇḍo vadhaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Ich werde deine Sünde nicht vergeben; ich bin ein Kshatriya von edler Abstammung. Ein Mann, der aus Lust seine eigene Tochter, seine Schwester oder die Frau seines jüngeren Bruders verletzt – seine vorgeschriebene Strafe ist der Tod.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana (Genitive)

• marṣaye: I pardon/tolerate
• marṣaye: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛṣ मृष् (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Uttama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada/parasmaipada usage varies; here ‘I tolerate/pardon’

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• kṣatriyaḥ: a kshatriya
• kṣatriyaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā, Ekavacana

• kula-udbhavaḥ: born of a noble lineage
• kula-udbhavaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक; from ud-√bhū भू)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; samāsa: tatpuruṣa ‘kule udbhavaḥ’ = born in a noble family; predicate adjective of ‘aham’

• aurasīm: one’s own daughter
• aurasīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aurasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of ‘pracaret’

• bhaginīm: sister
• bhaginīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa-nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; disjunctive particle (विकल्प)

• api: even/also
• api: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; additive particle (समुच्चय/अपि)

• bhāryām: wife
• bhāryām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa-nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; disjunctive particle

• api: even/also
• api: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; additive particle

• anujasya: of the younger brother
• anujasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuja (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• yaḥ: whoever
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun; subject of ‘pracaret’

• pracaret: should consort/engage sexually
• pracaret: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√car चर् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to ‘yaḥ’

• kāmāt: out of lust
• kāmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī, Ekavacana

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• daṇḍaḥ: punishment
• daṇḍaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• vadhaḥ: death, execution
• vadhaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate noun to ‘daṇḍaḥ’

• smṛtaḥ: is prescribed/declared
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: Kta (Past passive participle), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with ‘vadhaḥ’/‘daṇḍaḥ’ meaning ‘is declared/remembered (in smṛti)’

Context

'I am a kshatriya born of a good family. I will not pardon you for your sin. Whosoever transgresses dharma against his own daughter, sister or brother's wife out of lust should be killed according to smriti.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Vali

FAQs

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

Sexual conduct is bounded by dharma; violating protected kin-relations is treated as a grave adharma, and classical legal-ethical tradition (smṛti) frames severe punishment for such acts.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama justifies punishing Vali by citing Vali’s taking of his brother Sugriva’s wife, aligning it with condemned transgressions described in dharma-text traditions.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s adherence to scripturally grounded justice—he presents himself as duty-bound, not personally vindictive.