Shloka 16

वाली–रामसंवादः

Rama’s Justification to Vali on Rājadharma

Devanagari script

चपलश्चपलैस्सार्धं वानरैरकृतात्मभिः।जात्यन्ध इव जात्यन्धैर्मन्त्रयन् प्रेक्षसे नु किम्।।

Transliteration

capalaś capalaiḥ sārdhaṁ vānarair akṛtātmabhiḥ | jātyandha iva jātyandhair mantrayan prekṣase nu kim ||

Translation

तू स्वयं चंचल है और चंचल, असंयमी वानरों के साथ मंत्रणा करता है। जन्मान्ध के समान जन्मान्धों के साथ रहकर तू क्या समझ पाने की आशा करता है?॥

Word by Word

• capalaḥ: fickle (one)
• capalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: capala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; used substantively addressing/depicting ‘you’

• capalaiḥ: with the fickle ones
• capalaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Instrumental of accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: capala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/तृतीया), Bahuvacana

• sārdham: together with
• sārdham: Saha (सह/Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upasarga-sadṛśa adverb meaning ‘together/along with’

• vānaraiḥ: with monkeys
• vānaraiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• akṛta-ātmabhiḥ: with the undisciplined (petty-minded)
• akṛta-ātmabhiḥ: Sahakāraka-anuguṇa (सहकारक-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ (धातु), past participle with negation) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; samāsa: nañ-tatpuruṣa ‘akṛta ātmā yeṣām’ (undisciplined/petty-minded); qualifies ‘vānaraiḥ’

• jātyandhaḥ: one blind from birth
• jātyandhaḥ: Upamāna (उपमान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; samāsa: tatpuruṣa ‘jātyā andhaḥ’ (blind by birth)

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upamā-vācaka (comparative particle)

• jātyandhaiḥ: with those blind from birth
• jātyandhaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; accompaniment with ‘sārdham’ implied

• mantrayan: counselling/consulting
• mantrayan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/Concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mantr मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (Present active participle/शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; parasmaipada; agrees with implied ‘tvam’

• prekṣase: you look/consider
• prekṣase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ ईक्ष् (धातु) with preverb pra- (प्र)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यमपुरुष), Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• nu: indeed/then (question particle)
• nu: Prayojaka-nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; interrogative/emphatic particle (प्रश्न/निपात)

• kim: why/for what
• kim: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; interrogative pronoun used adverbially (‘for what purpose’)

Context

'You are fickle by nature. Your consultants are frivolous, petty-minded monkeys. It is like one born blind suppporting another blind by birth. What do you know (about dharma)?

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Vali
• Vanaras (monkeys)

FAQs

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

Right action depends on disciplined judgment and wise counsel; moral blindness is reinforced by surrounding oneself with similarly unprincipled advisors.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama rebukes Vali’s decision-making, implying that Vali’s ethical confusion is worsened by poor company and counsel.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment in choosing advisers—an essential virtue of rāja-dharma.