Shloka 61

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

Devanagari script

नलश्चक्रेमहासेतुंमध्येनदनदीपतेः ।सतदाक्रियतेसेतुर्वानरैर्घोरकर्मभिः ।।।।

Transliteration

nalaś cakre mahāsetuṃ madhyena nadanadīpateḥ |

sa tadā kriyate setur vānarair ghora-karmabhiḥ ||

Translation

Nala machte sich daran, die große Brücke mitten im Herrn der Flüsse, dem Ozean, zu errichten; und da wurde jene Brücke von den Vānaras gebaut, die zu furchtbarer Arbeit fähig sind.

Word by Word

• nalaḥ: Nala
• nalaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• cakre: made/constructed
• cakre: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, Atmanepada, 3rd person, Singular)

• mahāsetum: a great bridge
• mahāsetum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + setu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• madhyena: through the middle
• madhyena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular); ‘मध्येन’ = by/through the middle

• nadanadīpateḥ: of the lord of rivers (the ocean)
• nadanadīpateḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nada + nadī + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) ‘नदानां नदीनां पतिः’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• saḥ: that (bridge)/it
• saḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• kriyate: was being made
• kriyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (Present Passive, 3rd person, Singular)

• setuḥ: the bridge
• setuḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: setu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• vānaraiḥ: by the Vanaras
• vānaraiḥ: Kartṛ-karaṇa (कर्ता-करण; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• ghorakarmabhiḥ: of dreadful deeds
• ghorakarmabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying vānaraiḥ)

Context

On account of throwing into the sea it got stirred up Others held the rope over a hundred yojanas in breadth (to make it even).

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Vānaras
• Ocean (nadanadīpati, ‘lord of rivers’)
• Setu (bridge)

FAQs

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

Dharma is right leadership in service: Nala initiates and organizes a task that enables the larger righteous objective (Rāma’s mission), and the community executes it through dedicated labor.

What is the narrative situation?

Nala takes charge of constructing the great causeway across the ocean, and the vānaras carry out the arduous building.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Netṛtva (leadership) in Nala and karma-yoga–like dedication (selfless work) in the vānaras.