Shloka 23

विभीषणोपदेशः

Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana and the Catalogue of Omens

Devanagari script

इदंचयदिवामोहाल्लोभाद्वाव्याहृतंमया ।तत्रापिचमहाराज नदोषंकर्तुमर्हसि ।।।।

Transliteration

idaṁ ca yadi vā mohāl lobhād vā vyāhṛtaṁ mayā |

tratrāpi ca mahārāja na doṣaṁ kartum arhasi ||

Translation

และหากถ้อยคำของข้าพเจ้าหลุดออกไปด้วยความหลงหรือด้วยความโลภ แม้กระนั้น ข้าแต่พระมหาราช ขอพระองค์อย่าทรงถือโทษแก่ข้าพเจ้าเลย

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘this (speech/act)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conditional particle

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; alternative particle (विकल्प)

• मोहात्: from delusion
• मोहात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: moha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; ablative of cause (हेतु)

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; ablative of cause

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; alternative particle

• व्याहृतम्: uttered/spoken
• व्याहृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-hṛ (धातु) + vyāhṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate ‘uttered/spoken’ agreeing with इदम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तत्र: therein, in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb of place/reference

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; concessive/emphatic particle

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahārāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; महा + राजा

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; negation particle

• दोषम्: fault, offence
• दोषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to make/do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to do/make’

• अर्हसि: you ought/should
• अर्हसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

All of us, the Rakshasas and Rakshasa women of the capital, even those in the harem, and all the common people are aware of this offence.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma in counsel includes restraint in judgment: a ruler should evaluate advice on its truth and benefit, not merely blame the adviser’s motives.

What is the narrative situation?

Vibhīṣaṇa anticipates Rāvaṇa’s suspicion and asks that his counsel not be dismissed through fault-finding.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Humility and sincerity—he submits his words without demanding personal credit.