Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 61, Shloka 7

शुनःशेफविक्रयः

The Sale of Śunaḥśepa for the Sacrifice

Devanagari script

पशुरद्य हृतो राजन् प्रणष्टस्तव दुर्नयात् ।अरक्षितारं राजानं घ्नन्ति दोषा नरेश्वर ।।।।

Transliteration

paśur adya hṛto rājan praṇaṣṭas tava durnayāt | arakṣitāraṃ rājānaṃ ghnanti doṣā nareśvara ||

Translation

O King, today the sacrificial victim has been taken away, and through your faulty rule it has been lost beyond recovery. O lord of men, faults strike down a king who does not protect.

Word by Word

• पशुः: the animal
• पशुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (अधिकरण: time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (time adverb: 'today/now')

• हृतः: stolen; carried off
• हृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective (of पशुः)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• प्रणष्टः: lost; disappeared
• प्रणष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective (of पशुः)

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन

• दुर्नयात्: due to bad governance
• दुर्नयात्: Hetu (हेतु/ablative of cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + नय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ('bad policy/evil governance')

• अरक्षितारम्: one who does not protect
• अरक्षितारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-रक्षि-तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of राजानम्)

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• घ्नन्ति: destroy; strike down
• घ्नन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• दोषाः: faults; evils
• दोषाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ('lord of men')

Context

"O King! the animal has been stolen away and because of your inability to enforce law, it could not be traced. O Lord of men! the king who fails to protect (his dependents)perishes by his own faults.

Characters & Entities

• Ambarīṣa
• vipra (priest)
• paśu (sacrificial animal)
• rājadharma (implicit)

FAQs

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

Rājadharma: a ruler is morally accountable for protection and order; negligence (failure to safeguard) becomes a self-destructive fault.

What is the narrative situation?

After the sacrificial animal disappears, the priest rebukes the king, framing the loss as a governance failure that must be remedied.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral candor (satya-vacana) in counsel: the priest speaks plainly to uphold dharma, even when it criticizes royal authority.