Valmiki Ramayana 2.108.3 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 108, Shloka 3

जाबाल्युपदेशः

Jabali’s Pragmatic Counsel to Rama

Devanagari script

कः कस्य पुरुषो बन्धुः किमाप्यं कस्य केनचित्।यदेको जायते जन्तुरेक एव विनश्यति।।।।

Transliteration

kaḥ kasya puruṣo bandhuḥ kim āpyaṁ kasya kenacit |

yad eko jāyate jantur eka eva vinaśyati ||

Translation

ఎవరు ఎవరికీ నిజమైన బంధువు? ఎవరు ఎవరి నుండి నిజంగా ఏమి పొందగలరు? ఎందుకంటే జీవి ఒంటరిగా పుడతాడు, ఒంటరిగా నశిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kasya: of whom/to whom
• kasya: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• puruṣaḥ: man/person
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bandhuḥ: kinsman/relative
• bandhuḥ: Pratijna/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bandhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (interrogative)

• āpyam: obtainable
• āpyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āpya (प्रातिपदिक; from √āp ‘to obtain’)
• Form: भाव्य/साध्य-अर्थक (to be obtained); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agreeing with kim

• kasya: of whom/to whom
• kasya: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• kenacit: by anyone
• kenacit: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; ‘कश्चित्’ indefinite sense

• yat: since/for that
• yat: Hetu-dyotaka (हेतु-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; यत्-सम्बन्धबोधक (relative particle ‘since/for the reason that’)

• ekaḥ: alone/one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifying जन्तुः

• jāyate: is born
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• jantuḥ: creature
• jantuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ekaḥ: alone
• ekaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; implied subject of vinaśyati

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• vinaśyati: perishes/dies
• vinaśyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Context

It was to induce people to give charity that treatises are composed by intelligent men exhorting, 'perform sacrifices', 'give charity', 'be initiated', 'practise religious austerities', 'renounce', etc.

FAQs

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

It teaches vairāgya (detachment): recognizing the ultimate aloneness of birth and death helps one act without possessiveness and with clarity about duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata argues philosophically with Rāma, pressing a view that worldly relations are not ultimately binding—part of a broader attempt to persuade Rāma regarding the kingdom.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dispassion and philosophical austerity—seeing beyond social labels like ‘mine’ and ‘yours’.