Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 13

विभीषणोपदेशः

Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana

Devanagari script

किंचराक्षसराजस्यरामेणापकृतंपुरा ।आजहारजनस्थानाद्यस्यभार्यांयशस्विनः ।।।।

Transliteration

kiṃ ca rākṣasarājasya rāmeṇāpakṛtaṃ purā | ājahāra janasthānād yasya bhāryāṃ yaśasvinaḥ ||

Translation

At ano bang kasalanan ang nagawa ni Rāma noon sa hari ng mga rākṣasa, upang dukutin niya mula sa Jana-sthāna ang asawa ng marangal at tanyag na lalaki?

Word by Word

• किम्: what/why
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle: what/why)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (and/then)

• राक्षसराजस्य: of the rakshasa-king
• राक्षसराजस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: राक्षसानां राजा (king of rakshasas)

• रामेण: by Rama
• रामेण: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपकृतम्: wrong/offence
• अपकृतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप-कृत (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ-जन्य कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भाववाचकं (wrong done/offence)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

• आजहार: carried off/abducted
• आजहार: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: हृ, उपसर्ग: आ-

• जनस्थानात्: from Janasthana
• जनस्थानात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• भार्याम्: wife
• भार्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यशस्विनः: of the renowned (one)
• यशस्विनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम् यस्य (of the glorious one)

Context

"What offence did Rama do earlier to the Rakshasa king that he abducted the glorious wife of Rama from Janasthana?"

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rāvaṇa
• Janasthāna
• Sītā (implied as ‘wife’)

FAQs

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

Unprovoked harm and the abduction of another’s wife are adharma; the verse frames the war’s root as an unjust act, emphasizing accountability and moral causality.

What is the narrative situation?

In counsel, the speaker challenges the legitimacy of Rāvaṇa’s grievance, pointing to the original wrongdoing—Sītā’s abduction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral clarity and satya-vākya: naming the wrongdoing directly despite danger.