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Shloka 48

वालिवधः — Vālī’s Fall and Dharma-Accusation

Kiṣkindhā Sarga 17

Devanagari script

मामेव यदि पूर्वं त्वमेतदर्थमचोदयः।।मैथिलीमहमेकाह्ना तव चानीतवान्भवेत्।सुग्रीवप्रियकामेन यदहं निहतस्त्वया।कण्ठे बद्ध्वा प्रदद्यां ते निहतं रावणं रणे।।

Transliteration

mām eva yadi pūrvaṃ tvam etad-artham acodayaḥ | maithilīm aham ekāhnā tava cānītavān bhavet | sugrīvapriyakāmena yad ahaṃ nihatas tvayā | kaṇṭhe baddhvā pradadyāṃ te nihataṃ rāvaṇaṃ raṇe ||

Translation

Jika dahulu engkau datang kepadaku demi tujuan ini, dalam sehari sahaja aku dapat membawa Maithilī kembali kepadamu. Oleh kerana engkau membunuhku untuk menyenangkan Sugrīva, ketahuilah: aku juga mampu menewaskan Rāvaṇa di medan perang dan menyerahkannya kepadamu dengan lehernya terikat.

Word by Word
māmme
mām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
evaonly/indeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात), emphatic
yadiif
yadi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyadi (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय/शर्त-निपात), conditional
pūrvamearlier/beforehand
pūrvam:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAdverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण द्वितीया), temporal
tvamyou
tvam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
etatthis
etat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormDemonstrative used adjectivally, Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
arthampurpose/reason
artham:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootartha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
acodayaḥyou urged/asked
acodayaḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√cud (चुद् धातु)
FormVerb (क्रिया), Laṅ (लङ्) imperfect/past, Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
maithilīmMaithilī (Sītā)
maithilīm:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmaithilī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
ahamI
aham:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
ekāhnāwithin one day
ekāhnā:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rooteka + ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
FormCompound (समास) = ekasya ahnaḥ; Neuter base 'ahan' in Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially (काल-परिमाण)
tavaof you/your
tava:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय-निपात)
ānītavānhaving brought
ānītavān:
Kriya (क्रिया/Participle)
TypeVerb
Root√nī (नी धातु) + ktavatu (क्तवतु)
FormPast active participle (भूतकृत्/क्तवतु), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with 'aham'
bhavetwould be/would have been
bhavet:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (भू धातु)
FormVerb, Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular
sugrīva-priya-kāmenawith the desire to please Sugrīva
sugrīva-priya-kāmena:
Hetu (हेतु/Reason)
TypeNoun
Rootsugrīva (प्रातिपदिक) + priya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormCompound (समास) = sugrīvasya priyaṃ kāmaḥ; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
yatsince/that
yat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormRelative particle (सम्बन्ध-निपात), causal sense 'since/that'
ahamI
aham:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
nihataḥkilled/struck down
nihataḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया/State)
TypeVerb
Root√han (हन् धातु) + kta (क्त)
FormPast passive participle (कर्मणि क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with 'aham'
tvayāby you
tvayā:
Kartr̥ (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular
kaṇṭheat/on the neck
kaṇṭhe:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular
baddhvāhaving tied
baddhvā:
Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
TypeVerb
Root√bandh (बन्ध् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
FormAbsolutive/gerund (क्त्वा), indicating prior action
pradadyāmI would hand over
pradadyām:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√dā (दा धातु)
FormVerb, Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular
teto you
te:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular
nihatamslain
nihatam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Root√han (हन् धातु) + kta (क्त)
FormPast passive participle used adjectivally, Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies 'rāvaṇam'
rāvaṇamRāvaṇa
rāvaṇam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootrāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
raṇein battle
raṇe:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular
Context

'Had you sought my help earlier(before you met Sugriva), I would have restored Sita to you within a single day. I have been killed by you to oblige Sugriva. I would have handed over Ravana by the neck after killing him in the battle.

Characters & Entities
V
Vāli
R
Rāma
S
Sugrīva
M
Maithilī (Sītā)
R
Rāvaṇa

FAQs

It highlights dharma as discerning right means, not only desired ends: Vāli suggests that political aims (pleasing Sugrīva) shaped Rāma’s action, raising questions about impartial righteousness.

Vāli argues that Rāma could have secured Sītā and even neutralized Rāvaṇa through Vāli’s help, implying Rāma chose a path tied to Sugrīva’s interests.

Strategic capability and confidence (vīrya), alongside the implied virtue of choosing allies and methods carefully under dharma.

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