Shloka 21

ऋक्षबिलप्रवेशः

Entry into the Rikshabilam Cave

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्मिन्बिले दुर्गे नानापादपसङ्कुले।।।।अन्योन्यं सम्परिष्वज्य जग्मुर्योजनमन्तरम्।

Transliteration

tatas tasmin bile durge nānāpādapasaṅkule |

anyonyaṁ sampariṣvajya jagmur yojanam antaram ||

Translation

Dann, in jener schwer zugänglichen Höhle, dicht erfüllt von Bäumen vieler Arten, umschlangen sie einander fest und drangen noch eine Yojana weiter hinein.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (ततः अव्यय, from tad)
• Form: काल/अनन्तर-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन (agreeing with bile)

• bile: in the cave
• bile: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (बिल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• durge: difficult (to traverse)
• durge: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durga (दुर्ग प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (agreeing with bile); ‘hard to traverse’

• nānā-pādapa-saṅkule: crowded with many kinds of trees
• nānā-pādapa-saṅkule: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (नाना अव्यय) + pādapa (पादप) + saṅkula (सङ्कुल)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘crowded with various trees’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (agreeing with bile)

• anyonyaṃ: one another
• anyonyaṃ: Karma (कर्म/reciprocal object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anyonya (अन्योन्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग (reciprocal); द्वितीया एकवचन; adverbial ‘each other’

• sampariṣvajya: having clung to
• sampariṣvajya: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pari-svaj (स्वज्/स्वञ्ज् धातु ‘to embrace, cling’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having embraced/held on’

• jagmuḥ: went
• jagmuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन

• yojanam: a yojana (distance)
• yojanam: Karma (कर्म/extent traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yojana (योजन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; measure of distance

• antaram: inside, inward
• antaram: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/extent within)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (अन्तर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; adverbial-accusative ‘within/inside’

Context

Holding one another's hands, they went in for a distance of one yojana inside the cave that was densely covered with several kinds of trees.

Characters & Entities

• yojana (distance unit)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes mutual support in righteous work: community and cooperation sustain individuals when conditions are dangerous.

What is the narrative situation?

In a hard-to-navigate cave, the vānaras proceed by physically holding one another, advancing deeper.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Teamwork and loyalty—protecting companions while pursuing the shared mission.