HomeRamayanaSundara KandaSarga 1Shloka 158
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Shloka 158

समुद्रलङ्घनारम्भः

Commencement of the Ocean-Crossing

तं प्रयान्तं समुद्वीक्ष्य सुरसा वाक्यमब्रवीत्।बलं जिज्ञासमाना वै नागमाता हनूमतः।।।।

taṃ prayāntaṃ samudvīkṣya surasā vākyam abravīt | balaṃ jijñāsamānā vai nāgamātā hanūmataḥ ||

Als sie sah, dass er fortzugehen suchte, sprach Surasā, die Mutter der Schlangen, denn sie wollte wahrlich Hanumāns Kraft erproben.

तम्him
तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
प्रयान्तम्(him) who was going
प्रयान्तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootpra+yā (धातु)
Formशतृ (Present Active Participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘going/setting out’
समुद्वीक्ष्यhaving observed
समुद्वीक्ष्य:
Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Rootsam+ud+īkṣ (धातु)
Formक्त्वा (Absolutive); ‘having observed’
सुरसाSurasā
सुरसा:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsurasā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
वाक्यम्words / speech
वाक्यम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvākya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
अब्रवीत्said
अब्रवीत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbrū (धातु)
Formलङ्, परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
बलम्strength
बलम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
जिज्ञासमानाdesiring to know
जिज्ञासमाना:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootjñā (धातु)
Formशानच् (Present Middle Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; desiderative stem जिज्ञास- ‘wishing to know’
वैindeed
वै:
Nipata (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)
नागमाताmother of serpents
नागमाता:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootnāga-mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक: नाग + माता)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘नागानां माता’
हनूमतःof Hanumān
हनूमतः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roothanumat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

Surasa, mother of serpents, observing that Hanuman was attempting to escape, said this in order to gauge his strength:

S
Surasā
H
Hanumān
N
Nāgas (serpents)

FAQs

Righteous missions often include trials that measure capability and resolve; testing strength here functions as a dharmic verification of fitness for service.

The narration explains Surasā’s motive: she speaks to test and gauge Hanumān’s power as he tries to proceed.

Readiness and competence—Hanumān’s capacity is being assessed as part of his larger duty.