Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 6

सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्

Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali

Devanagari script

अनार्यस्त्वार्यसङ्काश श्शौचाद्दीनस्ताथाऽशुचिः।लक्षण्यवदलक्षण्यो दुश्शीलश्शीलवानिव।।2.109.5।।अधर्मं धर्मवेशेण यदीमं लोकसङ्कुरम्।अभिपत्स्ये शुभं हित्वा क्रियाविधिविवर्जितम्।।2.109.6।।कश्चेतयानः पुरुषः कार्याकार्यविचक्षणः।बहुमंस्यति मां लोके दुर्वृत्तं लोकदूषणम्।।2.109.7।।

Transliteration

adharmaṃ dharmaveśeṇa yad imaṃ lokasaṅkuram |

abhipatsye śubhaṃ hitvā kriyāvidhivivarjitam || 2.109.6 ||

Translation

—และหากข้าพเจ้าละทิ้งสิ่งมงคล แล้วรับเอาอธรรมที่ปลอมตัวเป็นธรรม ก่อความสับสนแก่โลก และทอดทิ้งพิธีกรรมกับระเบียบวินัยอันพึงปฏิบัติ—

Word by Word

• कामवृत्तः: acting by desire
• कामवृत्तः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक); काम (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक/ppp)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कामेन वृत्तः = acting as one wishes)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लोकः: world
• लोकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृत्स्नः: entire
• कृत्स्नः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• समुपवर्तते: behaves/acts
• समुपवर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यद्वृत्ताः: of whatever conduct
• यद्वृत्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद्-वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक); यद् (सर्वनाम) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (यादृशं वृत्तं येषाम् = of whatever conduct)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तद्वृत्ताः: of the same conduct
• तद्वृत्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद्-वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक); तद् (सर्वनाम) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तादृशं वृत्तं यासाम् = of that same conduct)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Context

Having heard the wrathful words of the magnanimous Rama of fearless intellect, that brahmin (Jabali) thus humbly replied in palatable, truthful words full of faith (in god).

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

Adharma becomes especially destructive when it wears the mask of dharma, because it misleads society and erodes trust in moral order.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma warns that if he abandons prescribed righteous disciplines, he would create social confusion by legitimizing wrongdoing under a righteous pretext.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral clarity—refusing to justify wrong actions through convenient rationalizations.