Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.8 — Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 8

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम्

The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Devanagari script

ह्रियमाणे तु काकुत्स्थ तस्मिन्नश्वे महात्मन:।उपाध्यायगणास्सर्वे यजमानमथाब्रुवन्।।1.39.8।।

Transliteration

hriyamāṇe tu kākutstha tasminn aśve mahātmanaḥ | upādhyāyagaṇāḥ sarve yajamānam athābruvan || 1.39.8 ||

Translation

O Kakutstha, as that horse of the great-souled king was being carried off, all the groups of officiating priests then addressed the sacrificer.

Word by Word

• ह्रियमाणे: while being stolen away
• ह्रियमाणे: अधिकरण (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present passive participle/शानच्), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसक/पुं-सम्भव; 'when (it) was being carried off' (locative absolute with aśve)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (वाक्य-सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अनन्तरार्थ (contrast/transition)

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

• तस्मिन्: in/when that
• तस्मिन्: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); विशेषण to अश्वे

• अश्वे: horse
• अश्वे: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative; with hriyamāṇe)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular)

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (Sagara)
• महात्मनः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• उपाध्याय-गणाः: groups of priests/preceptors
• उपाध्याय-गणाः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'उपाध्यायानां गणाः'; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण to उपाध्यायगणाः

• यजमानम्: the sacrificer
• यजमानम्: सम्प्रदान/प्रति (कर्म-प्रति/Addressed object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (वाक्य-सम्बन्ध/Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), अनन्तरार्थ (then/thereupon)

• अब्रुवन्: spoke/said
• अब्रुवन्: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

Context

O son of the Kakutsthas, when the magnanimous king Sagara's sacrificial horse was stolen away, all the high priests addressing the performer of the sacrifice said:

Characters & Entities

• Kākutstha (dynastic epithet)
• Sagara
• upādhyāyas (priests)
• sacrificial horse

FAQs

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

Dharma includes collective responsibility: learned priests must guide the ruler when a sacred duty is threatened. Proper counsel at a crisis point is itself a dharmic act.

What is the narrative situation?

Immediately after the horse is stolen, the priests intervene and speak to Sagara, indicating urgency and the need for corrective action to preserve the sacrifice.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The priests’ vigilance and readiness to advise reflect the virtue of dharmic guardianship—protecting sacred procedure through timely guidance.