Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 94, Shloka 21

चित्रकूटवर्णनम् (Description of Chitrakūṭa) / Rama Shows Sita Chitrakuta

Devanagari script

निशिभान्त्यचलेन्द्रस्य हुताशनशिखा इव।ओषध्यः स्वप्रभालक्ष्म्या भ्राजमाना स्सहस्रशः।।।।

Transliteration

niśi bhānty acalendrasya hutāśanaśikhā iva | oṣadhyaḥ svaprabhālakṣmyā bhrājamānāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

At night, on this lordly mountain, thousands of herbs glow with their own radiance, shining like tongues of fire.

Word by Word

• niśi: at night
• niśi: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhānti: shine
• bhānti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (भाति) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथम), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• acalendrasya: of the lord of mountains
• acalendrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय: acalānām indraḥ); Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• hutāśana-śikhāḥ: flames of fire
• hutāśana-śikhāḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hutāśana (प्रातिपदिक) + śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: hutāśanasya śikhāḥ); Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamāna-marker (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of comparison (उपमावाचक अव्यय)

• oṣadhyaḥ: herbs
• oṣadhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sva-prabhā-lakṣmyā: by their own radiance-splendor
• sva-prabhā-lakṣmyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: svāyāḥ prabhāyāḥ lakṣmyā (by the splendor of their own radiance); Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhrājamānāḥ: shining
• bhrājamānāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhrāj (भ्राजते) (धातु)
• Form: Śānac-pratyaya present participle (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन), agreeing with oṣadhyaḥ

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (परिमाणवाचक अव्यय)

Context

Herbs in thousands on this king of the hills shine in the night with the splendour of their own lustre, like flames of fire.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Citrakūṭa (context)
• oṣadhi (luminous herbs)

FAQs

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

Dharma is aligned with reverence for creation: seeing nature’s marvels cultivates humility and truthfulness of perception, supporting a life of restraint and gratitude in exile.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma describes the night-time beauty of the mountain, where countless herbs appear to emit their own light.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverent attentiveness—Rāma notices subtle beauty and shares it to uplift Sītā.