Shloka 6.83.26

त्र्यशीतितमः सर्गः (Sarga 83) — Hanumān Reports Sītā’s ‘Slaying’; Rāma Collapses; Lakṣmaṇa’s Counter-Discourse on Dharma and Artha

Devanagari script

अथवादुर्बलःक्लीबोबलंधर्मोऽनुवर्तते ।दुर्बलोहृतमर्यादो न सेव्यइतिमेमतिः ।।6.83.26।।

Transliteration

athavā durbalaḥ klībo balaṃ dharmo 'nuvartate | durbalo hṛta-maryādo na sevya iti me matiḥ ||6.83.26||

Translation

Or else dharma is feeble and ineffectual, merely following after brute force. A dharma that is weak and stripped of its boundaries is not worth serving—so I think.

Context

"Or else dharma becomes feeble, ineffective, submits to might, then it is better not to follow such dharma which is feeble, I think."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

It warns that if dharma becomes subordinate to power and loses its regulating boundaries (maryādā), it ceases to function as a true moral guide.

What is the narrative situation?

In the pressure of war and prolonged injustice, the speaker considers whether moral restraint is practical when force seems to dominate outcomes.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protective zeal—an impulse to ensure righteousness is not reduced to weakness.