Valmiki Ramayana 2.109.37 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 37
सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्
Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali
इति ब्रुवन्तं वचनं सरोषं रामं महात्मानमदीनसत्त्वम्।
उवाच पथ्यं पुनरास्तिकं च सत्यं वच: सानुनयं च विप्रः।।2.109.37।।
iti bruvantaṃ vacanaṃ saroṣaṃ rāmaṃ mahātmānam adīnasattvam |
uvāca pathyaṃ punar āstikaṃ ca satyaṃ vacaḥ sānunayaṃ ca vipraḥ || 2.109.37 ||
大いなる魂にして怯まぬラーマが、怒りを帯びた言葉を語ると、婆羅門はふたたび、やわらかな諭しをもって答えた。益ある、真にかなう、信を確かめる、懇願を添えた言葉であった。
If like a man who appears noble, though ignoble, clean, though unclean or dishonest, auspicious, though inauspicious, a man of character, though depraved, I forsake auspicious ways for unrighteousness, abandon pious acts and scriptural practices and indulge, under the cloak of dharma, in acts of wickedness by causing harm and confusion to the world, will any sensible man with a sense of discrimination between should and should not hold me in high esteem?
FAQs
Even amid conflict, dharmic discourse values speech that is truthful (satya), beneficial (pathya), and conciliatory rather than inflammatory.
After Rāma’s sharp response, the narration notes Jābāli’s strategic shift to faith-affirming, appeasing language.
Measured speech—responding to anger with calm, constructive, truth-oriented counsel.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.