HomeRamayanaBala KandaSarga 2Shloka 31
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Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 2, Shloka 31

द्वितीयः सर्गः — श्लोकप्रादुर्भावः

The Manifestation of the Śloka

मच्छन्दादेव ते ब्रह्मन् प्रवृत्तेयं सरस्वती ।रामस्य चरितं सर्वं कुरु त्वमृषिसत्तम ।।1.2.31।।

macchandād eva te brahman pravṛtteyaṃ sarasvatī | rāmasya caritaṃ sarvaṃ kuru tvam ṛṣi-sattama || 1.2.31 ||

O Brahmarṣi, by My own will Sarasvatī—the sacred speech—has arisen in you; therefore, O best of seers, compose the entire story of Rāma.

mat-chandātfrom my will
mat-chandāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootmad (प्रातिपदिक) + chanda (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘mama chandaḥ’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) as ‘chandas’ here in sense ‘will’
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, emphatic particle (अवधारण)
tefor you/to you
te:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSarvanāma, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular
brahmanO Brahman (sage)
brahman:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
pravṛttāset in motion/arisen
pravṛttā:
Karta (कर्ता) [qualifier]
TypeAdjective
Rootpra-vṛt (धातु) → kta (क्त) / PPP used adjectivally
FormBhūta-kṛdanta, kta; Feminine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with ‘sarasvatī’
iyamthis
iyam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSarvanāma, Feminine, Nominative, Singular
sarasvatīSarasvatī / speech
sarasvatī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
rāmasyaof Rāma
rāmasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
caritamdeeds/life-story
caritam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootcarita (प्रातिपदिक; kta from √car used as noun)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular
sarvamentire
sarvam:
Karma (कर्म) [qualifier]
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with ‘caritam’
kurucompose/make
kuru:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
FormLoṭ (लोट्, Imperative), Parasmaipada, Madhyama-puruṣa (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular
tvamyou
tvam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSarvanāma, Nominative, Singular
ṛṣi-sattamaO best of sages
ṛṣi-sattama:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormKarmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘sattamaḥ ṛṣiḥ’; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

"O!Brahmarshi, at my will, this speech had originated from you. Most excellent ascetic, compose the history of Rama in its entirety (in this metre).

B
Brahmā
S
Sarasvatī (speech/goddess)
V
Vālmīki
R
Rāma

FAQs

Dharma is the responsible transmission of truth: Vālmīki is charged to preserve and communicate Rāma’s dharma-centered life as an authoritative itihāsa.

Brahmā explains that Vālmīki’s poetic speech is divinely impelled and instructs him to compose Rāma’s full account.

Vālmīki’s vocation as a truthful composer (kavi/ṛṣi) entrusted with sacred history.