Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 25, Shloka 10

शुकसारण-चारप्रवेशः

Suka and Sāraṇa’s Espionage and Release

Devanagari script

ततस्तद्वानरंसैन्यमचिन्त्यंरोमहर्षणम् ।सङ् ख्यातुंनाध्यगच्छेतांतदातौशुकसारणौ ।।।।

Transliteration

tatas tad vānaraṃ sainyam acintyaṃ romaharṣaṇam | saṅkhyātuṃ nādhyagacchetāṃ tadā tau śuka-sāraṇau ||

Translation

তাৰ পাছত সেই দুজন—শুক আৰু সাৰণ—অচিন্ত্য আৰু ৰোমহৰ্ষণকাৰী বানৰসেনা দেখিলে; তেতিয়া তাৰ সংখ্যা গণনা কৰাতো তেওঁলোকে সক্ষম নহ’ল।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla (काल) / temporal adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = 'thereupon/then'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म) / qualifier of object
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण of sainyam

• vānaram: monkey
• vānaram: Karma (कर्म) / qualifier of object
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of sainyam

• sainyam: army
• sainyam: Karma (कर्म) / object (to be counted/assessed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• acintyam: inconceivable
• acintyam: Karma (कर्म) / qualifier of object
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + cintya (चिन्त्य, कृदन्त from cint धातु)
• Form: नञ्-समास/नकार-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of sainyam

• romaharṣaṇam: hair-raising, thrilling
• romaharṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म) / qualifier of object
• Type: Adjective
• Root: roma (प्रातिपदिक) + harṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'रोम्णां हर्षणम्' = 'causing hair to bristle'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of sainyam

• saṅkhyātum: to count
• saṅkhyātum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन) / purpose infinitive
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṅ-khyā (सङ्ख्या, धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्) = infinitive
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive/तुमुन्), 'to count'

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध) / negator
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• adhyagacchetām: could not ascertain
• adhyagacchetām: Kriya (क्रिया) / main verb
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-gam (अधिगम्, धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past, लङ्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), द्विवचन; 'they could not ascertain/understand'

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Kāla (काल) / temporal adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता) / subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (context), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; 'those two' (subject)

• śuka-sāraṇau: Śuka and Sāraṇa
• śuka-sāraṇau: Karta (कर्ता) / apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuka (प्रातिपदिक) + sāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; tau इति समानाधिकरण

Context

There upon both Suka and Saarana did not know the numbers (of the army) at that time as they could not count the numbers from there as it could not be conceived. It caused the raising of their hair.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka
• Sāraṇa
• Vānara army

FAQs

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

Satya (truthfulness to facts) is central: Dharma requires acknowledging reality as it is, even when it is overwhelming—accurate perception precedes righteous action.

What is the narrative situation?

Śuka and Sāraṇa observe Rāma’s Vānara forces and are stunned by their vastness, failing to compute their number.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Intellectual honesty and humility—recognizing the limits of one’s assessment when confronted with an immense force.