Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 64, Shloka 9

महोदर-वाक्यं कुम्भकर्ण-प्रतिषेधः

Mahodara’s Counsel and the Critique of Kumbhakarna’s Solo Assault

Devanagari script

ऐहलौकिकपारक्यंकर्मपुम्भिर्निषेव्यते ।कर्माण्यपितुकल्यानिलभतेकाममास्थितः ।।।।

Transliteration

aihalaukikapārakyaṃ karma pumbhir niṣevyate | karmāṇy api tu kalyāṇi labhate kāmam āsthitaḥ ||

Translation

Men engage in action seeking reward in this world and the next; yet one fixed only on desire, even through good deeds, attains merely pleasant-seeming “benefits,” not the higher good rooted in dharma.

Word by Word

• aiha-laukika-pārakyam: (fruit) pertaining to this world and the other world
• aiha-laukika-pārakyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aiha (प्रातिपदिक) + laukika (प्रातिपदिक) + pārakya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; समाहार-द्वन्द्व: ‘aihaṃ ca laukikaṃ ca pārakyaṃ ca’ (this-worldly and other-worldly)

• karma: action
• karma: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• pumbhiḥ: by men
• pumbhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• niṣevyate: is practiced
• niṣevyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√sev (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person, Singular; Ātmanepada; passive sense ‘is practiced/served’

• karmāṇi: actions
• karmāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अपि)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• kalyāni: auspicious/good
• kalyāni: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalyāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; adjective qualifying karmāṇi

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; Ātmanepada

• kāmam: desire/pleasure
• kāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• āsthitaḥ: having adopted (a course)
• āsthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā√sthā (धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; used substantively ‘one who has resorted to’

Context

" All beings reap the fruit of their actions in this world as well as in other worlds. He, who remains to be pleasure seeking, devoted to actions will receive blessings and attain pleasures in this life only (not here after)."

Characters & Entities

• karma
• kāma

FAQs

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

It warns that desire-driven action is spiritually limited; dharma-oriented action alone leads beyond immediate gratification toward lasting welfare (niḥśreyasa).

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker critiques motivations behind conduct—particularly the pursuit of pleasure as a guiding principle in a crisis of state and war.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Self-restraint (dama): subordinating kāma to dharma so that action becomes elevating rather than merely rewarding.