Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 29

शरणागति

धर्मनिर्णयः (Decision on Refuge and Dharma) / Rama’s Vow of Protection and the Acceptance of Vibhishana

Devanagari script

विनष्टःपश्यतस्तस्यारक्षिणश्शरणागतः ।आदायसुकृतंतस्यसर्वंगच्छेदरक्षित:।। ।।

Transliteration

vinaṣṭaḥ paśyatas tasyārakṣiṇaḥ śaraṇāgataḥ | ādāya sukṛtaṃ tasya sarvaṃ gacched arakṣitaḥ || 6.18.29 ||

Translation

Nếu người đến nương tựa bị bỏ mặc không được che chở ngay trước mắt mình, kẻ đáng làm người bảo hộ ấy sẽ bị nhục nhã và suy vong; còn người không được bảo vệ kia ra đi, mang theo hết thảy công đức của người ấy.

Word by Word

• vinaṣṭaḥ: ruined/destroyed
• vinaṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-naś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृत्/क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विनष्ट’ = destroyed/ruined

• paśyataḥ: while (he) looks on / in the presence of
• paśyataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative sense via genitive: ‘in the presence of’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘पश्यतः’ = while (he) is seeing / in the presence of (him)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• arakṣiṇaḥ: of the one who fails to protect
• arakṣiṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-rakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘अरक्षिणः’ = of the non-protector (one who does not protect)

• śaraṇāgataḥ: a refugee; one who has sought protection
• śaraṇāgataḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa-āgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (शरणम् + आगतः = ‘having come for refuge’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ādāya: having taken away
• ādāya: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/ल्यप्, gerund); ‘having taken away’

• sukṛtam: merit
• sukṛtam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘सुकृतम्’

• gacchet: would go/should go away
• gacchet: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• arakṣitaḥ: the unprotected (person)
• arakṣitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to śaraṇāgataḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-rakṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘unprotected one’ (or ‘one who is not protected’)

Context

"One who fails to protect a refugee who seeks protection from him is ruined in the eyes of the refugee and he takes away all the merit."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sugrīva

FAQs

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

Failing to protect a surrendered person destroys one’s dharmic merit (sukṛta) and moral standing; protection is a binding obligation.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma articulates the spiritual and social cost of refusing refuge, closing the ethical argument with consequences.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability as a protector—being worthy of trust by safeguarding those who depend on one’s shelter.