Shloka 44

वाली–रामसंवादः

Rama’s Justification to Vali on Rājadharma

Devanagari script

त्वं तु धर्ममविज्ञाय केवलं रोषमास्थितः।।प्रदूषयसि मां धर्मे पितृपैतामहे स्थितम्।

Transliteration

tvaṃ tu dharmam avijñāya kevalaṃ roṣam āsthitaḥ | pradūṣayasi māṃ dharme pitṛpaitāmahe sthitam ||

Translation

แต่ท่านกลับไม่รู้แจ้งในธรรม ยึดมั่นเพียงความโกรธ; จึงมุ่งจะทำให้ข้าพเจ้าเสื่อมเสียในเรื่องธรรม ทั้งที่ข้าพเจ้าตั้งมั่นอยู่ในธรรมอันสืบทอดจากบิดาและบรรพชน

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; पुंलिङ्गे (सामान्यतः); प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्तृ), एकवचनम्

• तु: but, however
• तु: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्धक (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः/समुच्चय-भेदकः (contrastive particle)

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing, without understanding
• अविज्ञाय: क्रियाविशेषण (prior action circumstance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव-√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले क्रिया; ‘न ज्ञात्वा’ इत्यर्थः

• केवलम्: only, merely
• केवलम्: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• रोषम्: anger
• रोषम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• आस्थितः: having resorted to, having taken up
• आस्थितः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicate adjective of the agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘आस्थित’ = आश्रित/गृहीत

• प्रदूषयसि: you defile, you reproach
• प्रदूषयसि: क्रिया (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√दूष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present indicative); मध्यम-पुरुषः (2nd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• धर्मे: in dharma, in righteousness
• धर्मे: अधिकरण (locus/realm)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• पितृपैतामहे: in the ancestral (of fathers and grandfathers)
• पितृपैतामहे: अधिकरण-विशेषण (qualifier of locus)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + पैतामह (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (itaretara-dvandva): पितृ- (fathers) + पैतामह- (grandfathers); पुंलिङ्गम्; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘पितृपैतामहे (धर्मे)’ = पितॄणां पितामहानां च परम्परागत-धर्मे

• स्थितम्: standing in, devoted to, established
• स्थितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (attribute of the object ‘me’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘माम्’ इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्

Context

'Seized with improper anger, you are reproaching one who is devoted to dharma, without knowing that I follow the code of conduct that has been passed on by my fathers and forefathers.'

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vālī
• dharma

FAQs

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

Anger distorts moral judgment; dharma should be assessed through knowledge and tradition (ācāra), not through reactive outrage.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma directly attributes Vālī’s accusations to ignorance of dharma and to uncontrolled rage.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadfastness in inherited righteous conduct (pitṛ-paitāmaha-dharma) and self-restraint in moral reasoning.