Shloka 4.22.5

वालिविलापः — Vali’s Final Counsel and the Succession Charge

Devanagari script

प्रतिपद्य त्वमद्यैव राज्यमेषां वनौकसाम्।मामप्यद्यैव गच्छन्तं विद्धि वैवस्वतक्षयम्4.22.5।।

Transliteration

pratipadya tvam adyaiva rājyam eṣāṃ vanaukasām | mām apy adyaiva gacchantaṃ viddhi vaivasvata-kṣayam ||

Translation

Accept this very day the kingship over these forest-dwellers; and know that I too, today itself, am going to the abode of Vaivasvata (Yama).

Characters & Entities

• Vāli
• Sugrīva
• vanaukas (Vānaras)
• Vaivasvata (Yama)

FAQs

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

Rajadharma: orderly transfer of power to prevent chaos; a ruler must ensure stability even at death.

What is the narrative situation?

Vāli, dying, instructs Sugrīva to immediately assume the throne and acknowledges his own imminent death.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Responsibility—Vāli prioritizes the kingdom’s continuity over personal grievance.