Valmiki Ramayana 1.49.7: Bala Kanda, Sarga 49, Shloka 7

अहल्याशापमोक्षः · The Release of Ahalya and Indra’s Restoration

Spoken by Agni

Devanagari script

अफलस्तु कृतो मेषः परां तुष्टिं प्रदास्यति ।

भवतां हर्षणार्थाय ये च दास्यन्ति मानवाः ॥७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.49.7

Transliteration

aphalas tu kṛto meṣaḥ parāṁ tuṣṭiṁ pradāsyati |

bhavatāṁ harṣaṇārthāya ye ca dāsyanti mānavāḥ ||7||

Translation

„Auch wenn der Widder ohne Hoden gemacht wird, wird er euch doch große Genugtuung schenken – zu eurer Freude und zur Freude der Menschen, die ihn darbringen werden.“

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Word by Word

• aphalaḥ: testicle-less
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + phala (फल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहि: ‘one who is without phala’ (here ‘without testicles’)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• tu: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast/emphasis
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• kṛtaḥ: made
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicative
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• meṣaḥ: ram
• Type: Noun
• Root: meṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• parām: great/supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifies tuṣṭim
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• tuṣṭim: satisfaction/joy
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• pradāsyati: will give
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (प्र + दा धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 3rd Person, Singular; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• bhavatām: of you/for you (hon.)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th), Plural; honorific pronoun-like
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• harṣaṇārthāya: for the purpose of delighting
• Type: Noun
• Root: harṣaṇa (हर्षण प्रातिपदिक) + artha (अर्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; तत्पुरुष: harṣaṇa-artha = ‘purpose of delighting’
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• ye: who/those who
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• dāsyanti: will give
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 3rd Person, Plural; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• mānavāḥ: men/humans
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• aphalaḥ+tu→aphalastu

The teaching

When dharma is guided by competent authority, exceptional substitutions can preserve the rite’s purpose.

Duties in tension

• Maintaining prescribed ritual standards
• Adapting to exceptional circumstance created by Indra’s condition

Ethical theme

Apaddharma (exception-handling within ritual duty)

How it resolves

Authoritative clarification (Agni’s pronouncement)

For your practice

Encourages steadiness in duty and trust in right guidance when circumstances are imperfect.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Assuring, ritual-legal, settling

Themes

• Dharma
• Ritual efficacy
• Itihasa
• Ethics of offering
• Satya (trust in divine assurance)

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• meṣa (ram)
• Pitṛdevatās

FAQs

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

Dharma is confidence in rightful ritual action: even when an offering is altered for a higher corrective purpose, it remains valid when sanctioned by proper authority.

What is the narrative situation?

After ordering Indra’s restoration, Agni reassures that the now-altered ram will still yield satisfaction to the recipients and to future human offerers.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue is trustworthiness in guidance—Agni provides assurance to prevent doubt and preserve the continuity of sacrificial practice.