Shloka 9

वानरमुख्य-परिचयः

Catalogue of Principal Vānara Leaders

Devanagari script

केषांशृणोतिसुग्रीवःकेवायूथपयूथपाः ।सारणाचक्ष्वतत्त्वेनकेप्रधानाःप्लवङ्गमाः ।।।।

Transliteration

keṣāṃ śṛṇoti sugrīvaḥ ke vā yūthapa-yūthapāḥ | sāraṇācakṣva tattvena ke pradhānāḥ plavaṅgamāḥ ||

Translation

Wessen Rat befolgt Sugrīva? Und wer sind unter ihnen die Befehlshaber über Befehlshaber? O Sāraṇa, sage mir wahrheitsgemäß: wer sind die führenden Häupter des Vānara-Heeres?

Word by Word

• केषाम्: of whom
• केषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitival)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; interrogative pronoun

• शृणोति: listens (to)
• शृणोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुग्रीवः: Sugriva
• सुग्रीवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• के: who?
• के: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; interrogative

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle 'or')

• यूथप-यूथपाः: leaders of troop-leaders
• यूथप-यूथपाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूथप (प्रातिपदिक) + यूथप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यूथपानां यूथपाः = chiefs of chiefs)

• सारण: O Sāraṇa
• सारण: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• आचक्ष्व: tell / point out
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्त्वेन: truly / in reality
• तत्त्वेन: Hetu/Prakara (प्रकार/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—'in truth' (adverbial instrumental)

• के: who?
• के: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रधानाः: chief / principal
• प्रधानाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्लवङ्गमाः: monkeys (vanaras)
• प्लवङ्गमाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लवङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Context

"Whose advice does Sugriva listen to? Who is the chief of the army of Vanaras? Saarana, I wish to know truly."

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sāraṇa
• Sugrīva
• Plavaṅgamas (Vānaras)

FAQs

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

Governance and warfare should be guided by satya—truthful reporting and reliance on sound counsel; knowing who leads and who advises is part of responsible decision-making.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa presses Sāraṇa for an accurate identification of Sugrīva’s trusted advisers and the top commanders among the Vānaras.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for truthful intelligence and structured knowledge—asking for tattva (the real facts) rather than rumor.