Valmiki Ramayana 1.9.4: Bala Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 4

ऋश्यशृङ्गानयनकथा — The Account of Bringing Ṛśyaśṛṅga

and the Remedy for Drought

Devanagari script

स वने नित्यसंवृद्धो मुनिर्वनचरस्सदा ।नान्यं जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यं पित्रनुवर्तनात् ।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 1.9.4

Transliteration

sa vane nityasaṃvṛddho munir vanacaraḥ sadā |

nānyaṃ jānāti viprendro nityaṃ pitranuvartanāt ||

Translation

Stets im Wald aufgewachsen und immer als ein im Forst umherziehender muni lebend, kannte jener Vortrefflichste unter den Brahmanen keinen anderen, da er unablässig nur seinem Vater folgte.

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Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• nitya-saṃvṛddhaḥ: always brought up (there)
• nitya-saṃvṛddhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃvṛddha (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Compound (समास) karmadhāraya; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• muniḥ: the sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vana-caraḥ: forest-dwelling
• vana-caraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास) tatpuruṣa (locative sense: ‘moving in the forest’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb ‘always’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• anyam: another/anyone else
• anyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• jānāti: knows
• jānāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vipra-indraḥ: foremost among brahmins
• vipra-indraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास) tatpuruṣa (‘chief among brahmins’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb ‘always’

• pitṛ-anuvartanāt: because of following his father
• pitṛ-anuvartanāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + anuvartana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास) ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (‘following of father’); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

"O king, the divine Sanatkumara had narrated a story about your posterity in the presence of sages.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛśyaśṛṅga
• Vibhaṇḍaka
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Filial duty and disciplined upbringing: steadfast service to one’s parent/teacher is presented as a foundation for brahmacarya and moral formation.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration describes Ṛśyaśṛṅga’s isolated forest life—he has no social exposure beyond his father.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Obedience and single-pointed discipline (niyama), arising from constant attendance upon his father.