Shloka 17

गुणप्रशंसा–युवराजनिर्णयः

Praise of Rama’s Virtues and the Decision on the Heir-Apparent

Devanagari script

नाऽऽश्रेयसि रतो विद्वान्नविरुद्धकथारुचिः।उत्तरोत्तरयुक्तौ च वक्ता वाचस्पतिर्यथा।।।।

Transliteration

nāśreyasi rato vidvān na viruddha-kathā-ruciḥ | uttarottara-yuktau ca vaktā vācaspatir yathā ||

Translation

విద్వానుడైనా ఆయన అశ్రేయసమైన కార్యాలలో ఆసక్తి చూపడు, ఇతరులకు విరోధమైన మాటలపై రుచి పెట్టడు. అయితే యుక్తి-తర్కాల ఉత్తరోత్తర చర్చలో వాచస్పతి వలె వక్తగా నిలిచేవాడు॥

Word by Word

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

• aśreyasi: in unwholesome pursuits
• aśreyasi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अश्रेयसि = अश्रेयसि (in what is not conducive to welfare)

• rataḥ: engaged (in)
• rataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ram (धातु) + rata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘engaged/attached’

• vidvān: the learned one
• vidvān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vid (धातु) + vidvas (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (विद्वस्), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘learned man’

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

• viruddha-kathā-ruciḥ: not fond of hostile/contradictory talk
• viruddha-kathā-ruciḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viruddha (प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक) + ruci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः) ‘विरुद्धा कथा’ इति/विरुद्धकथायां रुचिः; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; न + ... = ‘not having taste for hostile talk’

• uttarottara-yuktau: in successive arguments/debates
• uttarottara-yuktau: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + yukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय ‘उत्तरोत्तर’ (successive/better and better) + युक्ति; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘in successive reasoning/debate’

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

• vaktā: a speaker
• vaktā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vac (धातु) + vaktṛ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (तृच्-प्रत्यय, agent noun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘speaker/orator’

• vācaspatiḥ: Bṛhaspati (lord of speech)
• vācaspatiḥ: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘वाचः पतिः’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (Bṛhaspati / lord of speech)

• yathā: like/as
• yathā: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable of comparison: ‘as/like’)

Context

A learned man, he evinced no interest in pursuits that did not contribute to one's welfare or had he any liking for speaking against others. But in debates his oratorical flourish was comparable to Brihaspati's.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

Right speech aligned with satya and hita (truth and benefit): avoid harmful pursuits and hostile talk, yet use learning for constructive reasoning and dharmic counsel.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator completes another facet of Rāma’s portrait—his disciplined interests and exemplary, principled eloquence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vāk-saṃyama (restraint in speech) together with vidvat (learned eloquence) used ethically.