Shloka 46

Devanagari script

दृश्यमानस्तु युद्ध्येथा मया यदि नृपात्मज।अद्य वैवस्वतं देवं पश्येस्त्वं निहतो मया।।

Transliteration

dṛśyamānas tu yuddhyethā mayā yadi nṛpātmaja | adya vaivasvataṃ devaṃ paśyes tvaṃ nihato mayā ||

Translation

王子啊，若你与我明明正正、当面交战，那么今日——被我所杀——你本该见到毗婆斯伐多，死亡之主。

Word by Word

• dṛśyamānaḥ: being visible/openly
• dṛśyamānaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present passive participle); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘being visible/openly’

• tu: but
• tu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्ययम् (particle: but/indeed)

• yuddhyethāḥ: you would fight
• yuddhyethāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yudh (युध् धातु)
• Form: लिङ्-लकारः (Optative/vidhi), आत्मनेपदम्, मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; ‘you should/would fight’

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛ (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• yadi: if
• yadi: Śarta-dyotaka (शर्त-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्ययम् (if)

• nṛpa-ātmaja: O prince
• nṛpa-ātmaja: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः: नृपस्य आत्मजः; पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• adya: today
• adya: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• vaivasvatam: Vaivasvata (Yama-related)
• vaivasvatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaivasvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; adjective of devam

• devam: the god (Yama)
• devam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• paśyeḥ: you would see
• paśyeḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लिङ्-लकारः (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; ‘you would see’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• nihataḥ: killed
• nihataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√han (हन् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘killed’

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛ (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; agent in passive

Context

'O prince! had you fought me face to face you would have seen Vaivasvata, the lord of death today (you would have been killed by me).

Characters & Entities

• Vāli
• Rāma
• Vaivasvata (Yama)

FAQs

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

It invokes the ideal of open and fair combat as part of kṣatriya-dharma—valor should be tested transparently, not through concealment.

What is the narrative situation?

Vāli claims that in a direct duel he would have defeated Rāma, stressing that the manner of killing matters ethically.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial fairness and courage—meeting an opponent openly rather than relying on hidden advantage.