Shloka 11

दूत-नीति, शुक-प्रसङ्गः

Envoy-Ethics and the Episode of Śuka

Devanagari script

अहंयद्यहरंभार्यांराजपुत्रस्यधीमतः ।किंतत्रतवसुग्रीव: किष्किन्धांप्रतिगम्यताम् ।।।।

Transliteration

ahaṃ yady aharaṃ bhāryāṃ rāja-putrasya dhīmataḥ | kiṃ tatra tava sugrīvaḥ kiṣkindhāṃ prati gamyatām ||

Translation

たとえ我があの賢き王子の妃を奪ったとしても、それがそなたに何の関わりがある、スグリーヴァよ。キシュキンダー（Kiṣkindhā）へ帰れ、そこへ戻るがよい。

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• अहरम्: I carried off/took away
• अहरम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भार्याम्: wife/consort
• भार्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजपुत्रस्य: of the prince
• राजपुत्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः पुत्रः)

• धीमतः: of the wise
• धीमतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to राजपुत्रस्य)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: there)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सुग्रीवः: Sugriva
• सुग्रीवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किष्किन्धाम्: Kishkindha
• किष्किन्धाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किष्किन्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद/दिशार्थक (towards)

• गम्यताम्: let (him) go/return
• गम्यताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: let it be gone/let him go)

Context

"Sugriva! What harm is done to you if I have brought the consort of prince? You are a wise one, go back to Kishkinda."

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sugrīva
• Rāma (implied as rāja-putra)
• Sītā (implied as bhāryā)
• Kiṣkindhā

FAQs

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

Dharma rejects moral indifference: injustice done to another (abduction) is not ‘someone else’s problem’; allies are bound by truth and duty to oppose wrongdoing.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa tries to isolate Rāma by urging Sugrīva to withdraw, portraying Sītā’s abduction as irrelevant to Sugrīva.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Fidelity to friendship and pledged support—Sugrīva’s dharma is to stand by Rāma, not retreat into self-interest.