Shloka 9

प्रथमः सर्गः

Rama Praises Hanuman; Anxiety over Crossing the Ocean

Devanagari script

नियुक्तो नृपतेः कार्यं न कुर्याद्यस्समाहितः ।भृत्यो युक्तस्समर्थश्च तमाहुः पुरुषाधमम् ।।।।

Transliteration

niyukto nṛpateḥ kāryaṃ na kuryād yaḥ samāhitaḥ | bhṛtyo yuktaḥ samarthaś ca tam āhuḥ puruṣādhamam ||

Translation

ନୃପତିଙ୍କ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ନିଯୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇ, ଯୋଗ୍ୟ ଓ ସମର୍ଥ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯେ ଏକାଗ୍ର ହୋଇ ସେ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କରେନାହିଁ, ସେ ଭୃତ୍ୟ ‘ପୁରୁଷାଧମ’ କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• niyuktaḥ: appointed
• niyuktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni+yuj (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nṛpateḥ: of the king
• nṛpateḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• kāryam: task
• kāryam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; न-निषेधेन 'should not do'

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः

• samāhitaḥ: composed/attentive
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam+ā+dhā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (yaḥ/bhṛtyaḥ)

• bhṛtyaḥ: servant
• bhṛtyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yuktaḥ: fit/competent
• yuktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (कृदन्त, yuj धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (bhṛtyaḥ)

• samarthaḥ: capable
• samarthaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (bhṛtyaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म/Object of āhuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āhuḥ: they call
• āhuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• puruṣādhamam: the worst of men
• puruṣādhamam: Karma (कर्म/Object-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa+adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषेषु अधमः)

Context

"If one who is capable and efficient has been entrusted with a task by a king and fails to do the work agreed to, is said to be a lowly person."

Characters & Entities

• nṛpati (king) (generic)

FAQs

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

Accountability is dharma: accepting a duty (especially a public duty) and then failing it is morally degrading, regardless of one’s talent.

What is the narrative situation?

The text completes a moral hierarchy of service—best, middling, and worst—implicitly contrasting with Hanumān’s fulfilled duty.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability (kṛtaniścayatā): the virtue of actually completing what one has undertaken.