Shloka 15

न्यग्रोध

प्रवेश-निवारणम् (Preventing Indrajit’s Banyan-Tree Rite) / Indrajit Confronts Vibhishana

Devanagari script

गुणवान्वापरजनःस्वजनोनिर्गुणोऽपिवा ।निर्गुणःस्वजनःश्रेयान् यःपरःपरएवसः ।।6.87.15।।

Transliteration

guṇavān vā para-janaḥ svajano nirguṇo 'pi vā | nirguṇaḥ svajanaḥ śreyān yaḥ paraḥ para eva saḥ ||6.87.15||

Translation

แม้คนนอกจะมีคุณธรรม และคนของตนจะไร้คุณความดี แต่คนของตน—แม้มีข้อบกพร่อง—ก็ควรยิ่งกว่า เพราะผู้ที่เป็น “อื่น” ก็ยังเป็น “อื่น” อยู่นั่นเอง

Word by Word

• guṇavān: virtuous
• guṇavān: Karta (कर्ता/subject, option)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); विशेषणम् ‘परजनः’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive: or)

• parajanaḥ: a stranger/other person
• parajanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject, option)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• svajanaḥ: one’s own person/kinsman
• svajanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject, contrasted)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• nirguṇaḥ: without virtues
• nirguṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject, contrasted)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); विशेषणम् ‘स्वजनः’

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• nirguṇaḥ: unvirtuous
• nirguṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); विशेषणम् ‘स्वजनः’

• svajanaḥ: one’s own kinsman
• svajanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• śreyān: better
• śreyān: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); तुलनार्थक (comparative)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• paraḥ: a stranger
• paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/relative predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• paraḥ: a stranger
• paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic: indeed/only)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

Context

"Even if others are virtuous and your own people are not virtuous also one should seek the refuge of one's own people. Strangers are always strangers."

Characters & Entities

• Indrajit (Meghanāda)
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

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

It articulates a clan-based ethic (kula-priority) that the epic problematizes: dharma is not merely ‘standing by one’s own’ but standing by satya. The verse is important as a foil to Vibhīṣaṇa’s dharmic reasoning.

What is the narrative situation?

Indrajit offers a maxim to justify condemning Vibhīṣaṇa’s shift of allegiance to Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Group loyalty and solidarity (as Indrajit defines virtue), contrasted with the Ramayana’s higher valuation of righteousness over blood ties.