Shloka 68

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

Devanagari script

अह्नातृतयेनतथायोजनानिकृतानिच ।त्वरमाणैर्महाकायैरेकविंशतिरेवच ।।।।

Transliteration

ahnā tṛtīyena tathā yojanāni kṛtāni ca | tvaramāṇair mahākāyair ekaviṃśatir eva ca ||

Translation

Ebenso wurden am dritten Tag einundzwanzig Yojanas vollendet von den großleibigen Vānaras, die in dringender Eile arbeiteten.

Word by Word

• ahnā: in a day
• ahnā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• tṛtīyena: by the third
• tṛtīyena: Kāla-karaṇa (काल-करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying ahnā)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• yojanāni: yojanas
• yojanāni: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• kṛtāni: were made
• kṛtāni: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tvaramāṇaiḥ: by the hastening
• tvaramāṇaiḥ: Kartṛ-karaṇa (कर्ता-करण; agent in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tvar (धातु)
• Form: शानच् (Present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• mahākāyaiḥ: huge-bodied
• mahākāyaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• ekaviṃśatiḥ: twenty-one
• ekaviṃśatiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka + viṃśati (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु/संख्यावाचक; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); ‘twenty-one’ (count for yojanāni)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Context

Endowed with huge body that way the Vanaras built extremely fast, twenty one yojanas on the third day.

Characters & Entities

• Vānara
• Setu (bridge)
• Yojana

FAQs

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

Dharma is steady continuity in duty—progress is achieved by repeating right action day after day.

What is the narrative situation?

A day-by-day account of bridge progress: twenty-one yojanas completed on day three.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability and sustained effort (niṣṭhā) in collective service.