Ramayana — Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 10, Shloka 16

सुग्रीवस्य वैरानुकथनम्

Sugriva’s Account of Enmity and Appeal to Rama

Devanagari script

स तु दृष्ट्वैव मां रात्रौ सद्वितीयं महाबलः4.10.15।।प्राद्रवद्भयसन्त्रस्तो वीक्ष्यावां समुपागतौ।अनुद्रुतश्च वेगेन प्रविवेश महाबिलम्4.10.16।।

Transliteration

sa tu dṛṣṭvaiva māṃ rātrau sadvitīyaṃ mahābalaḥ | prādravad bhayasantrasto vīkṣyāvāṃ samupāgatau | anudrutaś ca vegena praviveśa mahābilam ||

Translation

This verse repeats the previous description: the powerful demon, seeing me with a companion at night, fled in fear and, chased closely, rushed into a vast cave.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• praviṣṭam: entered (into)
• praviṣṭam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-viś (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; tam-विशेषण

• viditvā: having known
• viditvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having known’

• sughoram: very dreadful
• sughoram: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: su (अति) + ghora (घोर); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; bilam-विशेषण

• sumahat: very great
• sumahat: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: su (अति) + mahat (महान्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; bilam-विशेषण

• bilam: cave
• bilam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uktaḥ: was told
• uktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘told/said’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• bhrātā: brother
• bhrātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधारणार्थक

• krūradarśanaḥ: cruel-looking
• krūradarśanaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krūra-darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: krūra (क्रूर) + darśana (दर्शन); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; भ्रातृ-विशेषण

Context

'The powerful demon that night saw me followed by another advancing towards him and fled out of fear. When we chased him, he entered this huge cave in great speed.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Vālin
• Māyāvī (implied)

FAQs

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

The ethical point remains the same as the repeated verse: confronting aggression in protection of order, narrated truthfully without embellishment.

What is the narrative situation?

A duplicated transmission reiterates Māyāvī’s fearful flight into a great cave while being pursued by Sugrīva and Vālin.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Consistency in truthful witness (satya) and steadiness in pursuit of a threat.