Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मनसा नृपशार्दूल भवेत्‌ परपुरंजय: । “नरेश्वर! नृपश्रेष्ठ! शत्रुनगरविजयी वीर पुरुष क्षत्रियधर्मको स्मरण रखते हुए कभी मनसे भी ऐसा व्यवहार नहीं कर सकता, जैसा कि तुमने किया है ।। मा च दर्पसमाविष्ट: क्षेप्सी: कांश्वचित्‌ कथंचन

Transliteration

manasā nṛpaśārdūla bhavet parapuraṃjayaḥ | mā ca darpasamāviṣṭaḥ kṣepsīḥ kāṃśvacit kathaṃcana ||

Translation

Rama disse: “Ó tigre entre os reis! Um verdadeiro conquistador das cidades inimigas não agiria, nem mesmo em pensamento, como tu agiste. E não te deixes dominar pela arrogância: não insultes nem menosprezes ninguém, de modo algum.”

Word by Word

मनसाby mind, mentally

नृपशार्दूलO tiger among kings

भवेत्would be / should be

परपुरंजयःconqueror of enemy cities

माdo not

चand

दर्पसमाविष्टःpossessed by pride, pride-intoxicated

क्षेप्सीःmay you not revile/insult (i.e., do not insult)

कान्whom (any persons)

क्वचित्anywhere, ever

कथंचनin any way, at all

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rama

unnamed king addressed as nṛpaśārdūla (a ruler)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s true valor is inseparable from restraint: even mentally one should not entertain ignoble conduct, and pride must not lead to insulting others. Conquest without humility and self-control is portrayed as contrary to kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rama admonishes a king, addressing him honorifically as “tiger among kings,” yet rebuking his behavior as unworthy of a genuine conqueror. He warns him to abandon arrogance and to refrain from disparaging anyone.