Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100, Shloka 56

शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma

Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare

Devanagari script

कच्चिदार्यो विशुद्धात्मा क्षारित श्चापरकर्मणा।अपृष्ट श्शास्त्रकुशलैर्न लोभाद्वध्यते शुचिः।।।।

Transliteration

kaccid āryo viśuddhātmā kṣāritaś cāpakarmaṇā | apṛṣṭaḥ śāstrakuśalair na lobhād vadhyate śuciḥ ||

Translation

高貴で心清き人が、たとえ卑しき讒言により汚名を着せられても、貪欲ゆえに、まずシャーストラに通じた者へ諮ることなく処刑されぬように。

Word by Word

• kaccit: I hope; is it the case that...?
• kaccit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative particle (praśna-nipāta/प्रश्ननिपात)

• āryaḥ: a noble man
• āryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana

• viśuddha-ātmā: pure-souled
• viśuddha-ātmā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Appositive qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘yasya ātmā viśuddhaḥ saḥ’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to āryaḥ

• kṣāritaḥ: slandered/accused
• kṣāritaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣārita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṣar caus./passive sense)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (samuccaya)

• apara-karmaṇā: by/through a wrongful act
• apara-karmaṇā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘aparaṃ karma’; Napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया), Ekavacana

• apṛṣṭaḥ: without being consulted
• apṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √prach, kta with neg. a-)
• Form: Kta (क्त/PPP) with privative a-, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ‘not asked/without being consulted’

• śāstra-kuśalaiḥ: by those skilled in the scriptures
• śāstra-kuśalaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Agent-instrument in passive context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + kuśala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘śāstre kuśalāḥ’; Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Bahuvacana

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation to verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (niṣedha)

• lobhāt: out of greed
• lobhāt: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (Ablative/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana

• vadhyate: is killed/put to death
• vadhyate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vadh (वध् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद); passive-like sense ‘is slain’

• śuciḥ: upright, pure
• śuciḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to āryaḥ

Context

I trust a man who is honest, pure-hearted and venerable, falsely accused of adultery is not slain out of avarice without consulting experts in scriptures.

Characters & Entities

• Śāstra (scriptural/legal expertise)

FAQs

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

Justice must be guided by truth and due process: punishment should not arise from greed or impulse, and learned counsel should be sought before severe penalties.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama probes whether Bharata’s administration protects innocents from wrongful punishment and consults lawful/scriptural authorities.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Judicial fairness—restraint, consultation, and commitment to satya (truth).