Shloka 29

वालिवधः — Vālī’s Fall and Dharma-Accusation

Kiṣkindhā Sarga 17

Devanagari script

वयं वनचरा राम मृगा मूलफलाशना:।एषा प्रकृतिरस्माकं पुरुषस्त्वं नरेश्वरः।।

Transliteration

vayaṃ vanacarā rāma mṛgā mūlaphalāśanāḥ | eṣā prakṛtir asmākaṃ puruṣas tvaṃ nareśvaraḥ || 4.17.29 ||

Translation

我们是林中行者，罗摩，不过是以根与果为食的兽类；此乃我们的本性。而你是人，是人中之主。

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष-सूचक; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वनचराः: forest-dwellers
• वनचराः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: वने चराः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• राम: O Rama
• राम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• मृगाः: animals, deer
• मृगाः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मूलफलाशनाः: eating roots and fruits
• मूलफलाशनाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + अशना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय: ‘मूलफलानि अश्नन्ति’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वयम्/वनचराः/मृगाः’)

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रकृतिः: nature, disposition
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पुरुषः: a man
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, मध्यमपुरुष-सूचक; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नरेश्वरः: lord of men
• नरेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नराणाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Context

When the lord of the monkey troops fell down, it was as though the earth lost itsbrightness like the sky loses its brightness devoid of the Moon.

Characters & Entities

• Vāli
• Rāma
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Greater responsibility with higher status: a human ruler is held to stricter moral standards than forest creatures acting by instinct.

What is the narrative situation?

Vāli contrasts vānaras’ natural life with Rāma’s human kingship to question the propriety of Rāma’s action.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral restraint: the expectation that a ruler governs impulses and acts by dharma.