Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 35, Shloka 13
माल्यवानुपदेशः
Malyavan’s Counsel, Portents in Laṅkā, and the Proposal of Alliance
धर्मोहिश्रूयतेपक्षीह्यमराणांमहात्मनाम् ।।।।अधर्मोरक्षसांपक्षोह्यसुराणांचराक्षस ।
dharmo hi śrūyate pakṣī hy amarāṇāṁ mahātmanām | adharmo rakṣasāṁ pakṣo hy asurāṇāṁ ca rākṣasa |
ശ്രുതിയിൽ പറയപ്പെടുന്നതുപോലെ ധർമ്മം മഹാത്മാക്കളായ അമരന്മാരുടെ പക്ഷമാണ്; ഹേ രാക്ഷസാ, അധർമ്മം രാക്ഷസന്മാരുടെയും അസുരന്മാരുടെയും പക്ഷമാണ്.
"The great souls were towards righteousness and Rakshasas took the side of unrighteousness."
FAQs
Dharma is presented as the defining allegiance of the noble; choosing adharma is not merely a tactic but a self-identification with destructive forces.
The speaker categorizes the war as a moral contest, warning Rāvaṇa that his faction is aligned with adharma.
Satya (truthfulness) in admonition—naming wrongdoing plainly rather than softening it.