Shloka 147

सुन्दरकाण्डे अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः

हनुमद्वृत्तान्तकथनम्, सीताभिज्ञान-प्रदानम्, लङ्कादाह-वर्णनम्

Devanagari script

दूतवध्या न दृष्टा हि राजशास्त्रेषु राक्षस।दूतेन वेदितव्यं च यथार्थं हितवादिना।।।।

Transliteration

dūtavadhyā na dṛṣṭā hi rājaśāstreṣu rākṣasa | dūtena veditavyaṃ ca yathārthaṃ hitavādinā ||

Translation

“ਹੇ ਰਾਖਸ਼ਸ! ਰਾਜ-ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੂਤ ਦਾ ਵਧ ਮਨਜ਼ੂਰ ਨਹੀਂ; ਹਿਤ ਬੋਲਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਦੂਤ ਨੂੰ ਯਥਾਰਥ ਗੱਲ ਕਹਿਣ ਦੀ ਆਗਿਆ ਹੋਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ।”

Word by Word

• dūta-vadhyā: killing of an envoy
• dūta-vadhyā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta-vadhyā (प्रातिपदिक; components: dūta + vadhyā)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘killing of a messenger’ / ‘messenger-killing’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• dṛṣṭā: is seen, is found
• dṛṣṭā: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• rājaśāstreṣu: in the royal treatises
• rājaśāstreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājaśāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• rākṣasa: O demon
• rākṣasa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• dūtena: by the messenger
• dūtena: Kartr̥ (कर्ता/Agent) (of veditavyam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• veditavyam: must be conveyed/known
• veditavyam: Kriyā (क्रिया/Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय (ought to be known/communicated)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• yathārtham: truthfully, as it is
• yathārtham: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā-artha (प्रातिपदिक; components: yathā + artha)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थे—‘यथार्थतया’ (truly, as it is)

• hitavādinā: by the well-wishing speaker
• hitavādinā: Kartr̥ (कर्ता) (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita-vādin (प्रातिपदिक; components: hita + vādin)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘one who speaks what is beneficial’); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); dūtena इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Context

'The royal code prohibits the murder of an emissary. A well-wishing emissary should convey the truth.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāvaṇa
• Dūta (envoy/messenger)

FAQs

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

Envoy-immunity as dharma and nīti: even enemies must respect the protected status of a messenger, and truth-speaking (satya) must be heard.

What is the narrative situation?

Vibhīṣaṇa argues from royal law that Hanumān, as an envoy, should not be executed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for satya and lawful procedure, embodied by Vibhīṣaṇa.