Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 108, Shloka 14

जाबाल्युपदेशः

Jabali’s Pragmatic Counsel to Rama

Devanagari script

अष्टका पितृदैवत्यमित्ययं प्रसृतो जनः।अन्नस्योपद्रवं पश्य मृतो हि किमशिष्यति।।।।

Transliteration

aṣṭakā pitṛdaivatyam ity ayaṃ prasṛto janaḥ |

annasyopadravaṃ paśya mṛto hi kim aśiṣyati || 2.108.14 ||

Translation

ಅಷ್ಟಕಾ ವಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಿತೃಗಳೇ ದೈವವೆಂದು ಭಾವಿಸಿ ಜನರು ತೊಡಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ; ಅನ್ನದ ವ್ಯರ್ಥ ನಾಶವನ್ನು ನೋಡು—ಸತ್ತವರು ಏನು ತಿನ್ನಬಲ್ಲರು?

Word by Word

• aṣṭakā: the Aṣṭakā rite
• aṣṭakā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• pitṛ-daivatyam: having the ancestors as deities
• pitṛ-daivatyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ + daivatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Vitīyā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः: pitaraḥ devatā yasya (whose deities are the ancestors)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-वाचक)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• prasṛtaḥ: engaged
• prasṛtaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-sṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Kta-participle, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ‘set forth/engaged’

• janaḥ: people
• janaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• annasya: of food
• annasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• upadravam: waste/harm
• upadravam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upadrava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Vitīyā, Ekavacana

• paśya: see
• paśya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्, imperative), Parasmaipada, Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• mṛtaḥ: the dead man
• mṛtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Kta-participle used substantively, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ‘the dead (person)’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta, emphasis/cause

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Vitīyā, Ekavacana; interrogative pronoun

• aśiṣyati: will eat
• aśiṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

Context

People perform ashtaka ceremony for the spirits of ancestors and offer them food. Look at the amount of food being wasted. Will the dead (ever) eat food?

Characters & Entities

• Jābāli
• Rāma
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

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

The verse attacks ritual dharma by denying any efficacy of offerings to ancestors; within the Ramayana’s ethical frame, it functions as a deliberately provocative stance against inherited sacred duties.

What is the narrative situation?

Jābāli attempts to dislodge Rāma’s reverence for ancestral obligation by mocking pitṛ-rites as mere waste, supporting his broader plea that Rāma abandon exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s reverence for tradition and duty (pitṛ-bhakti and dharma-śraddhā) is implicitly challenged, preparing for his principled rebuttal.