Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 37, Shloka 14

हनूमत्सीतासंवादः

Hanuman’s Offer of Rescue and Sita’s Dharmic Refusal

Devanagari script

चतुर्दशसहस्राणि राक्षसानां जघान यः।जनस्थाने विना भ्रात्रा शत्रुः कस्तस्य नोद्विजेत् ।।।।

Transliteration

caturdaśasahasrāṇi rākṣasānāṃ jaghāna yaḥ |

janasthāne vinā bhrātrā śatruḥ kas tasya nodvijet ||

Translation

هو الذي قتل في جانَسْثانا أربعةَ عشرَ ألفًا من الرّاكشاسا حتى من غير أخيه؛ فأيُّ عدوٍّ له لا يرتعد؟

Word by Word

• caturdaśa-sahasrāṇi: fourteen thousand (ones)
• caturdaśa-sahasrāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturdaśa + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (plural); द्विगुसमासः (numeral compound)

• rākṣasānām: of the demons
• rākṣasānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• jaghāna: slew
• jaghāna: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• janasthāne: in Janasthāna
• janasthāne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janasthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपातः (indeclinable preposition) ; तृतीयाविभक्त्यर्थे (governs instrumental: 'without')

• bhrātrā: with (his) brother
• bhrātrā: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• śatruḥ: enemy
• śatruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); प्रश्नवाचकः (interrogative)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• na: not
• na: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• udvijet: would tremble
• udvijet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud√vij (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

Context

"At Janasthana without the help of his brother also he slew fourteen thousand demons. Which enemy will not tremble before him?

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Hanumān
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa (implied by “brother”)
• Janasthāna
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

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

Righteous strength protects society; dharmic force is justified when used to restrain violent wrongdoing.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā cites Rāma’s earlier feat at Jana-sthāna as evidence of his capability to defeat Rāvaṇa’s forces.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vikrama (heroic prowess) and fearlessness in confronting adharma.