Shloka 6.1.9

प्रथमः सर्गः — Rama Praises Hanuman; Anxiety over Crossing the Ocean

Devanagari script

नियुक्तो नृपतेः कार्यं न कुर्याद्यस्समाहितः ।भृत्यो युक्तस्समर्थश्च तमाहुः पुरुषाधमम् ।।।।

Transliteration

niyukto nṛpateḥ kāryaṃ na kuryād yaḥ samāhitaḥ | bhṛtyo yuktaḥ samarthaś ca tam āhuḥ puruṣādhamam ||

Translation

But a servant who is competent and able—having accepted the king’s commission—yet does not carry out that task, is called the lowest of men.

Context

"If one who is capable and efficient has been entrusted with a task by a king and fails to do the work agreed to, is said to be a lowly person."

Characters & Entities

• nṛpati (king) (generic)

FAQs

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

Accountability is dharma: accepting a duty (especially a public duty) and then failing it is morally degrading, regardless of one’s talent.

What is the narrative situation?

The text completes a moral hierarchy of service—best, middling, and worst—implicitly contrasting with Hanumān’s fulfilled duty.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability (kṛtaniścayatā): the virtue of actually completing what one has undertaken.