Shloka 21

सम्पातिवृत्तान्तः

Sampāti’s Account and the Sage Niśākara

Devanagari script

किं ते व्याधिसमुत्थानं पक्षयोः पतनं कथम्।दण्डोऽयंच कृतः केन सर्वमाख्याहि पृच्छतः।।4.60.21।।

Transliteration

kiṃ te vyādhisamutthānaṃ pakṣayoḥ patanaṃ katham | daṇḍo 'yaṃ ca kṛtaḥ kena sarvam ākhyāhi pṛcchataḥ || 4.60.21 ||

Translation

Welche Krankheit hat dich befallen? Wie kam es zum Ausfall deiner Flügel? Von wem wurde diese Strafe verhängt? Erzähl mir alles, da ich frage.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; here interrogative with implied 'is'

• ते: your/to you
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• व्याधिसमुत्थानम्: arising of disease/affliction
• व्याधिसमुत्थानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyādhi-samutthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (व्याधेः समुत्थानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; interrogated as 'what is the disease-origin/affliction'

• पक्षयोः: of (your) two wings
• पक्षयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

• पतनम्: falling
• पतनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• दण्डः: punishment
• दण्डः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• कृतः: made/imposed
• कृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; दण्डः इति विशेष्य (imposed/made)

• केन: by whom?
• केन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आख्याहि: tell/relate
• आख्याहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √khyā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पृच्छतः: of (one) asking
• पृच्छतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ, present active participle), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'of me who is asking'

Context

'What disease has affected you? Why are your wings dropped down? Who punished you in this way? Tell me.'ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē kiṣkindhākāṇḍē ṣaṣṭitamassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the sixtieth sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Sampāti

FAQs

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

Dharma values truthful inquiry and accountability: suffering and ‘daṇḍa’ (punishment/consequence) are to be understood through honest narration rather than rumor.

What is the narrative situation?

The vānaras question Sampāti about his crippled state—his drooping wings and the cause behind it—so they can understand who he is and what happened to him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truth-seeking (satya-anveṣaṇa) through direct, respectful questioning, aiming to learn the real cause behind visible suffering.