Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 5

सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्

Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali

Devanagari script

अनार्यस्त्वार्यसङ्काश श्शौचाद्दीनस्ताथाऽशुचिः।लक्षण्यवदलक्षण्यो दुश्शीलश्शीलवानिव।।2.109.5।।अधर्मं धर्मवेशेण यदीमं लोकसङ्कुरम्।अभिपत्स्ये शुभं हित्वा क्रियाविधिविवर्जितम्।।2.109.6।।कश्चेतयानः पुरुषः कार्याकार्यविचक्षणः।बहुमंस्यति मां लोके दुर्वृत्तं लोकदूषणम्।।2.109.7।।

Transliteration

anāryas tv āryasaṅkāśaḥ śaucād dīnas tathā'śuciḥ |

lakṣaṇyavad alakṣaṇyo duśśīlaḥ śīlavān iva || 2.109.5 ||

Translation

Jika aku menjadi orang hina namun tampak laksana seorang ārya; miskin kesucian namun berlagak bersih; tanpa tanda kebajikan namun seolah berbudi; berperangai buruk namun berpura-pura berkelakuan baik—

Word by Word

• कस्य: of whom/to whom
• कस्य: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient, genitive of relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• दास्यामि: shall give
• दास्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वृत्तम्: right conduct
• वृत्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• केन: by whom/with whom
• केन: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नुयाम्: might attain
• आप्नुयाम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनया: by this
• अनया: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• वर्तमानः: being engaged/acting
• वर्तमानः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्त् (धातु) + वर्तमान (कृदन्त, शतृ/वर्तमानकाले)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, Parasmaipada sense)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• वृत्त्या: by (such) conduct
• वृत्त्या: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• हीनप्रतिज्ञया: with a broken vow
• हीनप्रतिज्ञया: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन-प्रतिज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक); हीन (कृदन्त/ppp from हा) + प्रतिज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारयः (हीना प्रतिज्ञा यस्य/यया = with a broken vow)

Context

Those supreme ascetics who are radiant, devoted to righteousness and associated with men of virtue, with charity as their chief virtue, eschewing violence and purged of their impurities are truly worthy of reverence in this world.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma rejects hypocrisy: seeming righteous while being unrighteous is itself a moral failure.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma argues that abandoning principled conduct would make him a pretender to virtue—unacceptable for one who must embody dharma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Authenticity—being truly virtuous rather than merely appearing so.