Shloka 73

Devanagari script

कृतार्था ह्यकृतार्थानां मित्राणां न भवन्ति ये।तान्मृतानपि क्रव्यादाः कृतघ्नान्नोपभुञ्जते।।

Transliteration

kṛtārthā hy akṛtārthānāṃ mitrāṇāṃ na bhavanti ye |

tān mṛtān api kravyādāḥ kṛtaghnān nopabhuñjate ||

Translation

ผู้ใดเมื่อสมประสงค์แล้วกลับไม่ยืนเคียงข้างมิตรที่ยังไม่สมหวัง คนอกตัญญูเช่นนั้นชั่วช้านัก ถึงตายแล้วแม้สัตว์กินเนื้อก็ยังไม่ยอมกิน

Word by Word

• kṛtārthāḥ: those who have achieved their purpose
• kṛtārthāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative, 1st), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle), emphasis/indeed

• akṛtārthānām: of those who have not achieved their purpose
• akṛtārthānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-kṛtārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (Genitive, 6th), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• mitrāṇām: of friends
• mitrāṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकaliṅga (Neuter), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (Genitive, 6th), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Pratiṣedha-nipāta (negative particle)

• bhavanti: become/are (i.e., prove to be)
• bhavanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Bahuvacana (Plural), Parasmaipada

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative, 1st), Bahuvacana (Plural), Sarvanāma (relative pronoun)

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Bahuvacana (Plural), Sarvanāma (pronoun)

• mṛtān: dead (ones)
• mṛtān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त; √mṛ धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle), concessive/also/even

• kravyādāḥ: flesh-eaters (carnivores)
• kravyādāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kravyāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative, 1st), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• kṛtaghnān: the ungrateful (ones)
• kṛtaghnān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtaghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Pratiṣedha-nipāta (negative particle)

• upabhuñjate: eat/enjoy
• upabhuñjate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa√bhuj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Bahuvacana (Plural), Ātmanepada

Context

'Even the carnivorous animals dislike to eat the body of such ungrateful men who do not help their friends even though they have received help and have achieved theirobjective.'

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• Sugriva (implied as ungrateful)

FAQs

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

One must repay help with help; abandoning a friend after benefiting from him is condemned as kṛtaghnatā (ingratitude), a grave adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakshmana rebukes the moral failure of those who forget obligations once their own aims are met, implicitly targeting Sugriva’s delay after regaining his kingdom.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Gratitude and loyalty to friends in distress.