Shloka 18

अरण्यकाण्डे एकोनत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sarga 29: Rama’s Admonition to Khara and the Shattering of the Mace

Devanagari script

प्राकृतास्त्वकृतात्मानो लोके क्षत्रियपांसनाः।निरर्थकं विकत्थन्ते यथा राम विकत्थसे।।।।

Transliteration

prākṛtās tv akṛtātmāno loke kṣatriyapāṃsanāḥ | nirarthakaṃ vikatthante yathā rāma vikatthase ||

Translation

ในโลกนี้ คนสามัญผู้ไร้การข่มใจ—กษัตริย์ชั้นต่ำที่สุด—ย่อมโอ้อวดอย่างไร้สาระ ดังที่เจ้า พระราม กำลังโอ้อวดอยู่

Word by Word

• prākṛtāḥ: common, vulgar
• prākṛtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) of vikatthante (with apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prākṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Bahuvacana

• tu: but, however
• tu: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa/viśeṣa-avyaya (but/however)

• akṛtātmānaḥ: undisciplined, uncontrolled in self
• akṛtātmānaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of prākṛtāḥ/kṣatriyapāṃsanāḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṛta + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Bahuvacana; nañ-tatpuruṣa (‘not disciplined’ + ‘self’)

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (Locative, 7th), Ekavacana

• kṣatriyapāṃsanāḥ: dregs of kshatriyas
• kṣatriyapāṃsanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) of vikatthante (appositional to prākṛtāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya + pāṃsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Bahuvacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (‘of kṣatriyas’ + ‘dregs/lowest’)

• nirarthakam: vainly, without purpose
• nirarthakam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirarthaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa-avyayavat (adverbial accusative) meaning ‘vainly/meaninglessly’

• vikatthante: boast
• vikatthante: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √katth (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Bahuvacana, Ātmanepada

• yathā: as
• yathā: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā/saṃbandha-avyaya (as, just as)

• rāma: O Rama
• rāma: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana

• vikatthase: you boast
• vikatthase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √katth (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd), Ekavacana, Ātmanepada

Context

O Rama! common people, having no control over themselves and the lowest of kshatriyas boast of themselves in the world in a meaningless way as you are doing (now).

Characters & Entities

• Khara
• Rama
• kṣatriya

FAQs

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

Self-mastery (ātma-niyama) is presented as essential to noble conduct; boastful speech is linked with lack of discipline.

What is the narrative situation?

Khara attempts to provoke Rama psychologically by labeling his speech as vulgar boasting.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Self-control—especially control over speech—as a marker of true nobility.