Shloka 4.55.10

अङ्गदस्य प्रायोपवेशननिश्चयः (Angada’s Resolve to Fast unto Death)

Devanagari script

पांशुदण्डेन हि मां बन्धने नोपपादयेत्।शठः क्रूरो नृशंसश्च सुग्रीवो राज्यकारणात्।।।।

Transliteration

pāṃśudaṇḍena hi māṃ bandhanena nopapādayet |

śaṭhaḥ krūro nṛśaṃsaś ca sugrīvo rājyakāraṇāt ||

Translation

Sugrīva—deceitful, cruel, and ruthless for the sake of kingship—would not hesitate to punish me secretly by imprisonment.

Context

'Sugriva is deceitful, cruel and treacherous. He will inflict secret punishment on me by way of imprisonment for the sake of the kingdom.

Characters & Entities

• Angada
• Sugriva

FAQs

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

The verse warns how attachment to power (rājya) can corrupt dharma, leading to unjust or secret punishments; it frames kingship as morally dangerous when driven by self-preservation.

What is the narrative situation?

Angada, fearing blame for mission failure, anticipates Sugriva’s reaction and expresses anxiety about punitive consequences.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a moral tension: Angada’s candor and vulnerability, contrasted with the implied vice of ruthless power-politics.