Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 64, Shloka 7

महोदर-वाक्यं कुम्भकर्ण-प्रतिषेधः

Mahodara’s Counsel and the Critique of Kumbhakarna’s Solo Assault

Devanagari script

कर्मचैवहिसर्वेषांकारणानांप्रयोजकम् ।श्रेयःपापीयसांचात्रफलंभवतिकर्मणाम् ।।।।

Transliteration

karma caiva hi sarveṣāṃ kāraṇānāṃ prayojakam | śreyaḥ pāpīyasāṃ cātra phalaṃ bhavati karmaṇām ||

Translation

یقیناً کرم ہی سب اسباب کو حرکت میں لانے والا ہے؛ اور اسی دنیا میں اعمال کے پھل، کرم کے مطابق، کبھی شریَس (بھلائی) اور کبھی پاپیَس (برائی) بن کر ظاہر ہوتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• karma: action
• karma: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; used adjectivally

• kāraṇānām: of causes/means
• kāraṇānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• prayojakam: the impelling/activating (factor)
• prayojakam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prayojaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective agreeing with karma

• śreyaḥ: good/benefit
• śreyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• pāpīyasām: of the worse (acts/agents)
• pāpīyasām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpīyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; comparative ‘more sinful/worse’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• phalam: result
• phalam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• bhavati: arises/becomes
• bhavati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; Parasmaipada

• karmaṇām: of actions
• karmaṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

Context

" Actions alone are the means of happiness. Being so how can sinful actions accrue good results?"

Characters & Entities

• karma (action)
• phala (result)

FAQs

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

Dharma is tied to moral causality: actions are decisive, and their results correspond to their ethical quality—good deeds yield welfare, harmful deeds yield suffering.

What is the narrative situation?

Counsel is being offered about decision-making in war and governance, grounding outcomes in karma rather than wishful thinking.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Accountability: recognizing that one’s chosen acts produce appropriate consequences.