Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 29

शरणागति

धर्मनिर्णयः (Decision on Refuge and Dharma) / Rama’s Vow of Protection and the Acceptance of Vibhishana

Devanagari script

विनष्टःपश्यतस्तस्यारक्षिणश्शरणागतः ।आदायसुकृतंतस्यसर्वंगच्छेदरक्षित:।। ।।

Transliteration

vinaṣṭaḥ paśyatas tasyārakṣiṇaḥ śaraṇāgataḥ | ādāya sukṛtaṃ tasya sarvaṃ gacched arakṣitaḥ || 6.18.29 ||

Translation

రక్షకుడు చూస్తుండగానే శరణాగతుడు నశిస్తే, ఆ రక్షణలో విఫలమైన రక్షకుడు అపకీర్తితో నాశనమవుతాడు; ఆ అరక్షితుడు అతని సమస్త పుణ్యాన్ని తీసుకొని వెళ్లిపోతాడు।

Word by Word

• vinaṣṭaḥ: ruined/destroyed
• vinaṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-naś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृत्/क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विनष्ट’ = destroyed/ruined

• paśyataḥ: while (he) looks on / in the presence of
• paśyataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative sense via genitive: ‘in the presence of’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘पश्यतः’ = while (he) is seeing / in the presence of (him)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• arakṣiṇaḥ: of the one who fails to protect
• arakṣiṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-rakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘अरक्षिणः’ = of the non-protector (one who does not protect)

• śaraṇāgataḥ: a refugee; one who has sought protection
• śaraṇāgataḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa-āgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (शरणम् + आगतः = ‘having come for refuge’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ādāya: having taken away
• ādāya: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/ल्यप्, gerund); ‘having taken away’

• sukṛtam: merit
• sukṛtam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘सुकृतम्’

• gacchet: would go/should go away
• gacchet: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• arakṣitaḥ: the unprotected (person)
• arakṣitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to śaraṇāgataḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-rakṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘unprotected one’ (or ‘one who is not protected’)

Context

"One who fails to protect a refugee who seeks protection from him is ruined in the eyes of the refugee and he takes away all the merit."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sugrīva

FAQs

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

Failing to protect a surrendered person destroys one’s dharmic merit (sukṛta) and moral standing; protection is a binding obligation.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma articulates the spiritual and social cost of refusing refuge, closing the ethical argument with consequences.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability as a protector—being worthy of trust by safeguarding those who depend on one’s shelter.