Shloka 4

जामदग्न्यस्य विलापः, प्रतिज्ञा, क्षत्रिय-निग्रहः, दानयज्ञश्च

Jāmadagnya Rāma’s Lament, Vow, Kṣatriya Suppression, and Gifts

Devanagari script

॥। । ह ॥॥ )! ४ सर ५ 7//($22 ४५.७ ४८८४४ ८ २४ 6: को “९2६४ छः ४ | रह कं १. (..%. ४ बनने नई] कि नु ते तत्र वक्ष्यन्ति सचिवेषु सुहृत्सु च । अयुध्यमानं धर्मज्ञमेकं हत्वानपत्रपा:,वे निर्लज्ज राजकुमार युद्धसे दूर रहनेवाले आप-जैसे धर्मज्ञ एवं असहाय पुरुषको मारकर अपने सुहृदों और मन्त्रियोंके सामने क्या कहेंगे?

Transliteration

ki nu te tatra vakṣyanti saciveṣu suhṛtsu ca | ayudhyamānaṃ dharmajñam ekaṃ hatvānapatrapāḥ ||

Translation

ആ ലജ്ജയില്ലാത്ത രാജകുമാരന്മാർ, യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യാത്ത നിങ്ങളെപ്പോലെയുള്ള ധർമ്മജ്ഞനും നിർാശ്രയനുമായ ഒരാളെ കൊന്നിട്ട്, അവിടെ മന്ത്രിമാരുടെയും സുഹൃത്തുക്കളുടെയും മുമ്പിൽ എന്ത് പറയും?

Word by Word

किम्what

नुindeed/then (emphasis)

तेof you/your

तत्रthere

वक्ष्यन्तिwill say/speak

सचिवेषुamong ministers/counsellors

सुहृत्सुamong friends/well-wishers

चand

अयुध्यमानम्not fighting, unresisting

धर्मज्ञम्knowing dharma, righteous

एकम्one, alone

हत्वाhaving killed

अनपत्रपाःshameless (without remorse)

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rama

ministers (saciva)

friends/well-wishers (suhṛt)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns the killing of a non-combatant righteous person as adharma: even if one can do it, it brings public dishonor and moral blame, especially before one’s own ministers and friends who witness or judge one’s conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rama rebukes the opposing side by pointing to the social and ethical consequences of their act: if they kill a lone man who is not fighting back and is known for dharma, they will have no defensible account to give in their own circles and will be seen as shameless.