Shloka 38

शरत्प्रवेशे रामविलापः तथा सुग्रीवप्रमादे लक्ष्मणप्रेषणम्

Autumn’s Onset: Rama’s Lament and Lakshmana Sent to Sugriva

Devanagari script

शरद्गुणाप्यायितरूपशोभाःप्रहर्षिताः पांशुसमुत्क्षिताङ्गाः।मदोत्कटास्सम्प्रति युद्धलुब्धावृषा गवां मध्यगता नदन्ति।।

Transliteration

śaradguṇāpyāyitarūpaśobhāḥ praharṣitāḥ pāṃśusamutkṣitāṅgāḥ | madotkaṭāḥ samprati yuddhalubdhā vṛṣā gavāṃ madhyagatā nadanti ||

Translation

Mitten in der Herde der Kühe brüllen nun die Stiere—voller Jubel, die Glieder staubbedeckt, die Gestalt durch die Vorzüge des Herbstes verschönt; vom Rausch der Brunft getrieben, gieren sie nach Kampf.

Word by Word

• śarat-guṇa-āpyāyita-rūpa-śobhāḥ: whose bodily beauty is enhanced by autumnal qualities
• śarat-guṇa-āpyāyita-rūpa-śobhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śarat (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āpyāyita (कृदन्त; √pyā/pyai 'प्याय्' caus./denom. 'to swell, nourish') + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; 'येषां रूपशोभा शरद्गुणैः आप्यायिता' (whose beauty of form is enhanced by autumnal qualities)

• praharṣitāḥ: delighted
• praharṣitāḥ: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praharṣita (कृदन्त; √hṛṣ् 'हृष्' + pra-, क्त/ppp)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; क्तान्त विशेषणम् (past passive participle used adjectivally)

• pāṃśu-samutkṣita-aṅgāḥ: with limbs covered in dust
• pāṃśu-samutkṣita-aṅgāḥ: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + samutkṣita (कृदन्त; √kṣi/√kṣip? here √kṣi 'क्षि' in sense 'to sprinkle/cover' with sam-ut-, क्त) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; 'येषाम् अङ्गानि पांशुना समुत्क्षितानि' (whose limbs are dust-covered)

• mada-utkaṭāḥ: fierce with rut
• mada-utkaṭāḥ: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mada (प्रातिपदिक) + utkaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी/सम्बन्धः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; 'मदेन उत्कटाः' (intensely excited by rut/passion)

• samprati: now
• samprati: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samprati (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• yuddha-lubdhāḥ: eager to fight
• yuddha-lubdhāḥ: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + lubdha (कृदन्त; √lubh 'लुभ्' क्त/ppp)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; 'युद्धे लुब्धाः' (eager for fighting)

• vṛṣāḥ: bulls
• vṛṣāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• gavām: of the cows
• gavām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• madhya-gatāḥ: having entered the midst
• madhya-gatāḥ: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; √gam 'गम्' क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; 'मध्ये गताः' (gone into the midst)

• nadanti: bellow
• nadanti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Context

'The bulls surrounded by cows are bellowing with the dust settled on their limbs. Excited by passion they are happy, ready to fight. They look attractive, blessed by the attributes of Autumn.

Characters & Entities

• bulls (vṛṣa)
• cows (go)

FAQs

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

By showing rut turning to conflict, the verse warns that unchecked passion readily becomes violence; Dharma requires governance of impulses so strength does not harm the community.

What is the narrative situation?

Seasonal imagery: autumn intensifies animal vitality; bulls in rut display dominance and readiness to fight.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implied virtue: restraint (saṃyama) as the counterbalance to passion and aggression.