Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 23, Shloka 9

कामाश्रम

प्रवेशः / Entry into Kāma’s Hermitage at the Sarayū–Gaṅgā Confluence

Devanagari script

तयोस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य मुनिपुङ्गव:।अब्रवीच्छ्रूयतां राम यस्यायं पूर्व आश्रम:।। ।।

Transliteration

tayoḥ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā prahasya munipuṅgavaḥ |

abravīc chrūyatāṃ rāma yasyāyaṃ pūrva āśramaḥ ||

Translation

Hearing their words, the foremost of sages smiled gently and said, “Listen, Rāma—this is the hermitage that once belonged to him in former times.”

Word by Word

• तयोः: of those two (of them)
• तयोः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), द्विवचन (Dual/द्विवचन), सर्वनाम-प्रयोग (pronoun)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसक), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular/एकवचन); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• वचनम्: speech; words
• वचनम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (पूर्वकर्म/Adverbial prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive, -tvā), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (prior action)

• प्रहस्य: having smiled/laughed
• प्रहस्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Adverbial prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive; Vedic/epic variant in -ya), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• मुनिपुङ्गवः: the foremost of sages
• मुनिपुङ्गवः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive tatpuruṣa: 'munīnām pुङ्गavaḥ'), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (Verb action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past, लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: क्रिया (Verb action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/लोट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive/कर्मणि): 'let it be heard'

• राम: O Rama
• राम: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (Singular)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• पूर्वः: former; earlier
• पूर्वः: कर्ता (Karta; as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifies 'āśramaḥ')

• आश्रमः: hermitage
• आश्रमः: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Context

There they saw a sacred hermitage of anchorites of great vitality performing severe austerities for thousands of years.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Rāma
• Āśrama (hermitage)

FAQs

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

Dharma is the careful transmission of truth: a teacher responds to sincere inquiry by opening a lineage of memory and meaning (itihāsa) for the student.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra begins explaining the earlier ownership/history of the hermitage after the princes ask about it.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Teacherly compassion and clarity—answering with calm warmth (gentle smile) and readiness to instruct.