Shloka 11

मारीचोपदेश

प्रतिषेधः / Ravana Rejects Maricha’s Counsel and Orders the Golden Deer Deception

Devanagari script

सावमर्दं तु यद्वाक्यं मारीच हितमुच्यते।नाभिनन्दति तद्राजा मानार्हो मानवर्जितम्।।3.40.11।।

Transliteration

sāvamardaṃ tu yad vākyaṃ mārīca hitam ucyate |

nābhinandati tad rājā mānārho mānavarjitam ||

Translation

โอ้มาริจะ แม้ถ้อยคำตักเตือนเพื่อประโยชน์ หากกล่าวด้วยท่าทีข่มเหงและไม่ให้เกียรติ ก็ย่อมไม่เป็นที่ยินดีของพระราชาผู้ควรแก่การสักการะ

Word by Word

• sa-avamardam: with insult/harshly
• sa-avamardam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय ‘with’) + avamarda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Upapada-tatpuruṣa (सह-तत्पुरुष: ‘with insult/oppression’); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying vākyaṃ

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विरोध/अवधारण)

• yat: which
• yat: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun qualifying vākyaṃ

• vākyam: speech/statement
• vākyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mārīca: O Maricha
• mārīca: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārīca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• hitam: beneficial
• hitam: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate complement of vākyaṃ

• ucyate: is called/said
• ucyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Passive (कर्मणि), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• abhinandati: approves/welcomes
• abhinandati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-nand (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tat: that (speech)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun referring to vākyaṃ

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• māna-arhaḥ: worthy of respect
• māna-arhaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘worthy of honor’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying rājā

• māna-varjitam: devoid of respect/disrespectful
• māna-varjitam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; from √vṛj/√varj)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (नञ्/षष्ठी sense: ‘devoid of respect’); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying tat (vākyaṃ)

Context

A king who deserves honour does not feel happy to hear even good words of advice if said in disrespectful or authoritarian way, O Maricha !

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Mārīca
• King (rājā)

FAQs

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

Counsel should unite truth with respectful delivery; dharma is upheld not only by content but by non-violent, dignified speech.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa rebukes Mārīca, claiming that the manner of Mārīca’s advice is disrespectful and therefore unacceptable.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respectful communication; implicitly, it warns against arrogance that rejects truth on the pretext of tone.