Shloka 4

अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः — Śatrughna’s Fury and Bharata’s Restraint

Mantharā Episode

Devanagari script

पूर्वमेव तु निग्राह्य स्समवेक्ष्य नयानयौ।उत्पथं यस्समारूढो राजा नार्या वशं गतः।।।।

Transliteration

pūrvam eva tu nigrāhyaḥ samavekṣya nayānayau |

utpathaṁ yas samārūḍho rājā nāryā vaśaṁ gataḥ ||

Translation

Wahrlich, der König hätte sich gleich zu Beginn zügeln sollen, Recht und Unrecht erwägend—er, der, auf einen Irrweg geraten, unter die Gewalt einer Frau kam.

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: earlier/first
• पूर्वम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/first)

• एव: indeed
• एव: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• तु: but
• तु: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• निग्राह्यः: should have been restrained
• निग्राह्यः: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निग्राह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि+√ग्रह्, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक ‘to be restrained/should be restrained’ (gerundive)

• समवेक्ष्य: having considered
• समवेक्ष्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अव+√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• नय-अनयौ: right and wrong
• नय-अनयौ: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नय (प्रातिपदिक) + अनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (नयः च अनयः)

• उत्पथम्: wrong path
• उत्पथम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• समारूढः: having mounted/entered
• समारूढः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+√रुह् (धातु), क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नार्याः: of a woman
• नार्याः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वशम्: control/influence
• वशम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतः: having come under
• गतः: क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय (Predicative participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु), क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

Context

Bharata, addressing the enraged Satrughna said Of all beings a lady is not to be killed. Pardon her.

Characters & Entities

• king (Daśaratha, implicit)

FAQs

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

Rajadharma requires discernment (naya) and self-restraint; a ruler must not abandon justice due to personal attachments or persuasion.

What is the narrative situation?

Śatrughna interprets the exile as a failure of royal judgment, blaming the king’s susceptibility to influence rather than principled governance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue implied is viveka (discriminative judgment) as essential to kingship—measuring actions by right and wrong before acting.