Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 38, Shloka 26

अभिज्ञानप्रदानम्

The Token of Recognition (Chūḍāmaṇi) and the Crow Episode Recalled

Devanagari script

केन ते नागनासोरु विक्षतं वै स्तनान्तरम्।।5.38.26।।कः क्रीडति सरोषेण पञ्चवक्त्रेण भोगिना।

Transliteration

kena te nāganāsoru vikṣataṃ vai stanāntaram || 5.38.26 ||

kaḥ krīḍati saroṣeṇa pañcavaktreṇa bhoginā |

Translation

“By whom, O woman of elephant-like thighs, has your bosom been wounded? Who is playing so recklessly with an enraged, five-hooded serpent?”

Word by Word

• kena: by whom
• kena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• nāga-nāsa-ūru: O lady with elephant-trunk-like thighs
• nāga-nāsa-ūru: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + nāsā (प्रातिपदिक) + ūru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/बहुपद-समासप्राय (उपाधि): ‘नागनासेव ऊरू यस्याः सा’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• vikṣatam: wounded
• vikṣatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√kṣan/√kṣat (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकृत् (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘stanāntaram’ विशेषण

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• stanāntaram: the space between the breasts
• stanāntaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stana (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘स्तनयोः अन्तरम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• krīḍati: sports/plays
• krīḍati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sa-roṣeṇa: with anger/angrily
• sa-roṣeṇa: Prakaraṇa (प्रकरण/भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + roṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव: ‘रोषेण सह’ = ‘angrily’; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत

• pañca-vaktreṇa: by/with the five-hooded
• pañca-vaktreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास: ‘पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य’ (five-mouthed); तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘bhoginā’ विशेषण

• bhoginā: serpent
• bhoginā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्पवाचक

Context

'Then looking around, you saw the crow facing me with sharp, blood-stained claws.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• serpent (bhogin)

FAQs

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

Before administering justice, dharma requires inquiry—seeking the truth of who caused harm and why, rather than acting blindly.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma questions Sītā about the source of her injury, using a vivid warning metaphor.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment and responsibility: even in anger, Rāma begins with fact-finding (satya-anveṣaṇa).