Valmiki Ramayana 1.2.14: Bala Kanda, Sarga 2, Shloka 14

द्वितीयः सर्गः · श्लोकप्रादुर्भावः

The Manifestation of the Śloka

Setting: Tamasā riverbank (near Vālmīki’s āśrama)Places named: TamasāRiver-side observation turning to utterance

Devanagari script

ततः करुणवेदित्वादधर्मोऽयमिति द्विजः ।

निशाम्य रुदतीं क्रौञ्चीमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥१४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.2.14

Transliteration

tataḥ karuṇaveditvād adharmaḥ ayam iti dvijaḥ |

niśāmya rudatīṃ krauñcīm idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||14||

Translation

रिशि का दिल भर गया था। उन्होंने सोचा यह गलत काम है। चिड़िया रो रही थी, उसकी आवाज़ सुन के रिशि का दिल उभला। तब उन्होंने यह शब्द कहा जो बाद में श्लोक बन गया।

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Word by Word

• ततः: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्यय (thereupon)
• Role: काल (Time)

• करुणवेदित्वात्: because of compassion
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुण + वेदित्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: करुणायाः वेदित्वम् (sense/experience of compassion); पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative: because of)
• Role: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• अधर्मः: unrighteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; predicate nominal)

• अयम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Subject; demonstrative)

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति (quotative particle)
• Role: वाक्यचिह्न (Quotative marker)

• द्विजः: the sage (dvija)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)

• निशाम्य: having observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम्/नि-शाम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष gerund): निशाम्य; अव्ययभाव (having observed/heard)
• Role: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)

• रुदतीम्: wailing
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्; present participle feminine): रुदती; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'क्रौञ्चीम्' इति विशेषण
• Role: कर्म (Qualifier of object)

• क्रौञ्चीम्: the female krauñca bird
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौञ्ची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)

• इदम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Object)

• वचनम्: speech, words
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)

Sandhi Notes

• करुणवेदित्वादधर्मोऽयम् = करुणवेदित्वात् + अधर्मः + अयम् (त् + अ → द; ः + अ → 'ो)
• क्रौञ्चीमिदम् = क्रौञ्चीम् + इदम्

Context

Having heard the wailing of the female bird, the sage (Valmiki) moved to pity at this irreligious act uttered the following words.

The teaching

Dharma is recognized where compassion awakens; to call adharma ‘adharma’ is the first step toward restoring moral order.

Duties in tension

• Compassionate response to suffering
• Restraint in speech for a sage vs need to condemn adharma

Ethical theme

Dharma-viveka (moral discernment)

How it resolves

Ethical naming of adharma leading to corrective utterance

For your practice

Practice of viveka and dayā—seeing harm and responding with truthful, measured speech.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Indignant, tearful, morally awakened

Themes

• Dharma
• Adharma
• Karuṇā (compassion)
• Satya (truthful moral recognition)
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Vālmīki (dvija/ṛṣi)
• krauñcī (female bird)

FAQs

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

Dharma involves truthful moral discernment (satya as moral clarity): recognizing an act as adharma and responding from compassion rather than apathy.

What is the narrative situation?

Hearing the female bird’s lament, Vālmīki identifies the killing as unrighteous and prepares to utter a condemning statement.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment joined with compassion—he names adharma plainly and is moved to speak for justice.