Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 31

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed

Devanagari script

जटाभारधरस्यैव वल्कलाजिनवाससः।को वधेन ममर्थी स्यात्किंवाऽस्यापकृतं मया।।2.63.31।।

Transliteration

jaṭā-bhāra-dharasyaiva valkalājinavāsasaḥ |

ko vadhena mamārthī syāt kiṃ vā 'syāpakṛtaṃ mayā || 2.63.31 ||

Translation

結い固めた髪の重みを負い、樹皮衣と羚羊の皮をまとうこの私を、誰が殺そうと望むのか。私は彼に何の害をなしたというのか。

Word by Word

• evam: thus, in this way
• evam: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• niṣphalam: fruitless
• niṣphalam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣphala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; आरब्धम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ārabdham: undertaking, effort
• ārabdham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā-√rabh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle used as noun: ‘undertaken act/effort’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा

• kevala-anartha-saṃhitam: consisting only of mischief
• kevala-anartha-saṃhitam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक) + anartha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhita (प्रातिपदिक; sam-√dhā/√hi? ‘put together’ sense)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: ‘consisting only of harm’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; आरब्धम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• kaścit: anyone
• kaścit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaścid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• sādhu: as good, proper
• sādhu: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘well/rightly’)

• manyeta: should consider
• manyeta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘should think/consider’

• yathā: as, like
• yathā: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/तुलनार्थक (comparative ‘as/like’)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात

• guru-talpagaṃ: one who violates the teacher’s bed
• guru-talpagaṃ: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + talpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक; √gam धातु से)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (genitive determinative: ‘one who goes to the teacher’s bed’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; उपमान (object of comparison)

Context

'Who wants to kill me who lives like an ascetic with matted hair and wearing bark or the skin of an antelope? What harm have I done to him?

FAQs

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

Dharma asks for proportionality and cause: harming a harmless person violates justice and compassion.

What is the narrative situation?

The wounded ascetic points to his renunciant appearance as evidence of harmlessness and asks who could want him dead.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Simplicity and harmless living—his ascetic markers symbolize withdrawal from worldly aggression.