Shloka 35

सागरप्रशमनम् / The Pacification of the Ocean and the Building of Nala’s Bridge

Devanagari script

तेनतन्मरुकान्तारंपृथिव्याखलुविश्रुतम् ।निपातितश्शरोयत्रवज्राशनिसमप्रभः ।।।।

Transliteration

tena tan marukāntāraṃ pṛthivyāṃ khalu viśrutam |

nipātitaḥ śaro yatra vajrāśani-samaprabhaḥ ||

Translation

Durch das Niederfallen jenes Pfeils—glänzend wie Indras Donnerkeil—wurde jener Landstrich auf Erden weithin als Marukāntāra bekannt.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that (arrow/act)
• तेन: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्ता/कर्म (contextual)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of मरुकान्तारम् (context: that region)

• मरुकान्तारम्: the desert tract (Marukāntāra)
• मरुकान्तारम्: कर्ता (Karta; subject of viśrutam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुकान्तार = मरु + कान्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम; तत्पुरुष (desert-wilderness)

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth; in the world
• पृथिव्याम्: अधिकरण (Adhikarana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

• विश्रुतम्: well-known
• विश्रुतम्: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक; from श्रु धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• निपातितः: was made to fall; was shot down
• निपातितः: विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शरः-विशेषण

• शरः: the arrow
• शरः: कर्ता (Karta; subject of nipātitaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikarana)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: where)

• वज्राशनिसमप्रभः: having a radiance like thunderbolt/lightning
• वज्राशनिसमप्रभः: कर्ता (Karta; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्राशनिसमप्रभ = वज्र + अशनि + सम + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of शरः; तत्पुरुष (having splendor like thunderbolt and lightning)

Context

By the letting down of the dart that resembled the glow of Indra that part of the land was indeed popularly known as Marakantara (Marwar and Bikaner region of Rajasthan).

Characters & Entities

• Indra (implied by vajra)
• vajra (thunderbolt)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is expressed as the world-ordering power of righteous action: a single purposeful deed (the arrow’s descent) reshapes the land and becomes remembered as part of sacred geography.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration explains how a region came to be called Marukāntāra, linked to the spot where a brilliant arrow descended.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s decisive, world-impacting agency is implied—his action is significant enough to rename and redefine a landscape.