Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 2

ऋश्यशृङ्गानयनकथा — The Account of Bringing Ṛśyaśṛṅga

and the Remedy for Drought

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमारो भगवान्पूर्वं कथितवान्कथाम्।ऋषीणां सन्निधौ राजन् तव पुत्रागमं प्रति।।।।

Transliteration

sanatkumāro bhagavān pūrvaṃ kathitavān kathām |

ṛṣīṇāṃ sannidhau rājan tava putrāgamaṃ prati ||

Translation

O King, the divine Sanatkumāra had earlier narrated—before an assembly of sages—a story concerning the coming of sons to you.

Word by Word

• sanat-kumāraḥ: Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (प्रातिपदिक) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Proper noun; Compound (समास) karmadhāraya; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhagavān: the venerable/divine one
• bhagavān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); honorific adjective qualifying Sanatkumāra

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb ‘formerly/earlier’

• kathitavān: narrated
• kathitavān: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + kta-vat (क्तवत्)
• Form: Past active participle (क्तवत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘one who narrated’

• kathām: a story
• kathām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṛṣīṇām: of sages
• ṛṣīṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sannidhau: in the presence
• sannidhau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• putra-āgamam: the coming/birth of (your) sons
• putra-āgamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + āgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास) ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (‘of sons’ + ‘coming’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• prati: regarding
• prati: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), upasarga/preposition-like; ‘regarding/towards’ (with accusative)

Context

'Risyasringa, your son-in-law, would help you to obtain sons'. Thus said Sanathkumara which I have related to you.

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumāra
• Daśaratha
• ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

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

Respect for truthful, tradition-bearing testimony: a king should heed the words of realized sages and preserve righteous lineage through dharmic means.

What is the narrative situation?

Sumantra begins recounting an earlier prophetic account by Sanatkumāra about how Daśaratha would obtain sons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s receptivity and humility before sacred counsel (guru/ṛṣi-vākya) and Sumantra’s faithful transmission of tradition.