Valmiki Ramayana 2.109.16: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 16

सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्

Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali

Devanagari script

सोऽहं पितुर्नियोगं तु किमर्थं नानुपालये।सत्यप्रतिश्रव स्सत्यं सत्येन समयीकृतः।।2.109.16।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.109.16

Transliteration

so 'haṃ pitur niyogaṃ tu kimarthaṃ nānupālaye | satyapratiśravaḥ satyaṃ satyena samayīkṛtaḥ ||

Translation

ഞാൻ പിതാവിന്റെ നിയോഗം എന്തുകൊണ്ട് അനുസരിക്കാതിരിക്കണം? ഞാൻ സത്യപ്രതിജ്ഞനായവൻ; സത്യത്താൽ തന്നെ ബന്ധിതൻ, സത്യത്താൽ തന്നെ നിശ്ചയിതൻ.

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Word by Word

• सः: he/that (person)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• पितुः: of (my) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• नियोगम्: command/commission
• नियोगम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• किमर्थम्: why/for what reason
• किमर्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim-artha (प्रातिपदिक; interrogative + artha)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'for what reason')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अनुपालये: (should) I obey/follow
• अनुपालये: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-pāl (अनु + पाल् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सत्यप्रतिश्रवः: one true to (his) promise
• सत्यप्रतिश्रवः: Karta (कर्ता/Appositive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya-pratiśrava (प्रातिपदिक; components: satya + pratiśrava)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (one whose promise is truth/true to promise); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; apposition to अहम्

• सत्यम्: truth; vow
• सत्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• सत्येन: by truth
• सत्येन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• समयीकृतः: bound by agreement/pledge
• समयीकृतः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√kṛ (कृ धातु) > samayīkṛta (कृदन्त/क्त, PPP)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate adjective of अहम् (bound/pledged)

Context

I am always true to any promise. I am bound by truth. Why shouId I (now) disobey my father's command (to keep his promise)?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Jābāli
• Daśaratha (implied: father)

FAQs

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

Fidelity to truth requires honoring lawful vows and commands—especially the father’s pledge—making personal sacrifice secondary to satya.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma concludes this segment of rebuttal by grounding his exile in a concrete obligation: obedience to his father’s commitment and command.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Pitṛbhakti and vow-keeping: unwavering commitment to a promise even at great personal cost.