Shloka 4.10.18

सुग्रीवस्य वैरानुकथनम् (Sugriva’s Account of Enmity and Appeal to Rama)

Devanagari script

अहत्वा नास्ति मे शक्तिः प्रतिगन्तुमितः पुरीम्।बिलद्वारि प्रतीक्ष त्वं यावदेनं निहन्म्यहम्।।

Transliteration

ahatvā nāsti me śaktiḥ pratigantum itaḥ purīm | bila-dvāri pratīkṣa tvaṃ yāvad enaṃ nihanmy aham ||

Translation

“Unless I kill him, I have no strength to return from here to the city. You wait at the cave’s entrance until I strike him down.”

Context

'I cannot return from here without killing him. Wait at the entrance of the cave until I kill him. Look forward to my return.

Characters & Entities

• Vāli
• Sugrīva
• cave entrance (bila-dvāra)
• city (purī)

FAQs

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

Duty-first ethics: one should not abandon a righteous task midway; Vāli treats eliminating the threat as a moral obligation before returning to normal life.

What is the narrative situation?

Before entering the cave to fight, Vāli instructs Sugrīva to remain at the entrance and wait for his return.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Resolve (dṛḍha-niścaya): a firm commitment to complete one’s undertaking, even at personal risk.