Shloka 9

वालिनः और्ध्वदैहिकम्

Vali’s Funeral Rites and the Consolation of the Bereaved

Devanagari script

इतस्स्वां प्रकृतिं वाली गतःप्राप्तः क्रियाफलम्।धर्मार्थकाम संयोगैः पवित्रं प्लवगेश्वरः4.25.9।।

Transliteration

itas svāṃ prakṛtiṃ vālī gataḥ prāptaḥ kriyāphalam | dharmārthakāmasaṃyogaiḥ pavitraṃ plavageśvaraḥ || 4.25.9 ||

Translation

Vāli ist von hier fortgegangen und in seinen eigenen Zustand zurückgekehrt; der Herr der Affen hat die Frucht seiner Taten erlangt—ein Ergebnis, geformt durch das Zusammenwirken von Dharma, Artha und Kāma.

Word by Word

• itaḥ: hence/thereafter
• itaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (from here/therefore); अत्र 'इतः' = hence/thereafter

• svām: his own
• svām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); 'प्रकृतिम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• prakṛtim: natural state/nature
• prakṛtim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative, Singular)

• vālī: Vāli
• vālī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• gataḥ: has gone
• gataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + kta (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• prāptaḥ: has attained
• prāptaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु) + kta (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• kriyāphalam: fruit of action
• kriyāphalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā-phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (kriyā + phala)

• dharmārthakāmasaṃyogaiḥ: by the conjunction of dharma, wealth, and pleasure
• dharmārthakāmasaṃyogaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-artha-kāma-saṃyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Instrumental, Plural); द्वन्द्व (dharma + artha + kāma) ततः तत्पुरुष (… + saṃyoga)

• pavitram: pure/sanctified
• pavitram: Kriyā (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/विशेषण (predicate: 'became pure')

• plavageśvaraḥ: lord of monkeys
• plavageśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plavaga-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (plavaga + īśvara)

Context

'Vali, king of monkeys is dead and gone. He acted according to his own nature and attained the sacred fruit of his action comensurate with dharma, wealth and pleasuresin this world.

Characters & Entities

• Vālī
• Plavageśvara (Lord of monkeys)
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma

FAQs

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

Actions bear results (karma-phala). Dharma requires acknowledging moral causality and moving forward responsibly rather than remaining trapped in grief or retaliation.

What is the narrative situation?

After Vālī’s death, the discourse frames his end as the fruition of deeds and the interplay of life’s aims, preparing Sugrīva for rightful kingship.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral realism: accepting that outcomes follow from conduct, and that leadership must be grounded in accountability.