Shloka 15

वाली–रामसंवादः

Rama’s Justification to Vali on Rājadharma

Devanagari script

सूक्ष्मः परमदुरजेयस्सतां धर्मः प्लवङ्गम।हृदिस्थस्सर्वभूतानामात्मा वेद शुभाशुभम्।।

Transliteration

sūkṣmaḥ paramadurjeyaḥ satāṁ dharmaḥ plavaṅgama | hṛdisthaḥ sarvabhūtānām ātmā veda śubhāśubham ||

Translation

Wahai kera! Dharma orang-orang saleh itu halus dan amat sukar dipahami. Sang Atman yang bersemayam di hati semua makhluk mengetahui yang suci (subha) dan yang tidak suci (asubha).

Word by Word

• sūkṣmaḥ: subtle
• sūkṣmaḥ: Karta-anuguṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); viśeṣaṇa (adjective) qualifying ‘dharmaḥ’

• parama-durjeyaḥ: extremely hard to overcome/understand
• parama-durjeyaḥ: Karta-anuguṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + durjeya (कृदन्त; √ji जि (धातु) + ya, with दुर्गम/दुर्- prefix)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; samāsa: karmadhāraya (descriptive) ‘paramaḥ ca saḥ durjeyaḥ ca’; viśeṣaṇa of ‘dharmaḥ’

• satām: of the good/pious people
• satām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक; from √as अस्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• dharmaḥ: dharma, righteous conduct
• dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक; from √dhṛ धृ (धातु))
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• plavaṅgama: O monkey
• plavaṅgama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plavaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• hṛdi-sthaḥ: situated in the heart
• hṛdi-sthaḥ: Karta-anuguṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त; √sthā स्था (धातु), past participial base)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; samāsa: saptamī-tatpuruṣa ‘hṛdi sthitaḥ’; viśeṣaṇa of ‘ātmā’

• sarva-bhūtānām: of all beings
• sarva-bhūtānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त; √bhū भू (धातु), past participle used as noun)
• Form: Napुंसकliṅga (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; samāsa: karmadhāraya ‘sarvāṇi bhūtāni’

• ātmā: the Self
• ātmā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• veda: knows
• veda: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid विद् (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• śubha-aśubham: good and bad
• śubha-aśubham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + aśubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; samāsa: itaretara-dvandva (copulative)

Context

'O monkey! dharma is very subtle. It is extremely difficult to understand. Installed in the hearts of all living beings the self knows good and evil (soul is the witness of good and evil).

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Vali

FAQs

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

Moral truth is subtle; beyond external debate, inner conscience (ātmā as witness) discerns right and wrong.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama cautions Vali that dharma is not simplistic, and that inner moral awareness ultimately judges actions.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment—recognizing that ethical judgment requires depth, not mere impulse or pride.