Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 18

ऋश्यशृङ्गानयनकथा — The Account of Bringing Ṛśyaśṛṅga

and the Remedy for Drought

Devanagari script

ऋश्यशृङ्गस्तु जामाता पुत्रांस्तव विधास्यति।सनत्कुमारकथितमेतावद्व्याहृतं मया।।।।

Transliteration

ṛśyaśṛṅgas tu jāmātā putrāṃs tava vidhāsyati |

sanatkumārakathitam etāvad vyāhṛtaṃ mayā ||

Translation

Ṛśyaśṛṅga, as your son-in-law, will bring about sons for you. This much of what Sanatkumāra related has been spoken by me.

Word by Word

• ṛśyaśṛṅgaḥ: Ṛśyaśṛṅga
• ṛśyaśṛṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (subject of 'vidhāsyati')
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛśyaśṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक) (proper noun)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• jāmātā: son-in-law
• jāmātā: Karta (कर्ता) (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāmātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; apposition to 'ṛśyaśṛṅgaḥ'

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (कर्म) (object of 'vidhāsyati')
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Plural

• tava: for you / your
• tava: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive Singular

• vidhāsyati: will bring about / will ordain
• vidhāsyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (periphrastic future), Parasmaipada, 3rd person Singular

• sanatkumāra-kathitam: told by Sanatkumāra
• sanatkumāra-kathitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanatkumāra (प्रातिपदिक) + kathita (√kath + क्त/PPP)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (tṛtīyā/agentive sense): 'told by Sanatkumāra'; Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular (प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन) qualifying an implied 'ākhyānam/vṛttāntam'

• etāvat: this much / up to this point
• etāvat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: etāvat (प्रातिपदिक used adverbially)
• Form: Avyaya-like usage (परिमाणवाचक), 'so much/this far'

• vyāhṛtam: has been spoken
• vyāhṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया) (predicate with implied 'idam')
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-√hṛ (धातु) → vyāhṛta (क्त/PPP)
• Form: PPP (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; predicate: 'has been uttered/told'

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता) (agent in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Instrumental Singular

Context

Worshipping the fire-god and attending on his renowned father, he will spend a long time living in this manner (practising vratitva mode of brahmacharya).

Characters & Entities

• Ṛśyaśṛṅga
• Daśaratha
• Sanatkumāra

FAQs

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

Truthful reliance on dharmic means for progeny: the promise is not mere desire-fulfillment but fulfillment through righteous alliances and sacred counsel.

What is the narrative situation?

Sumantra concludes the prophetic portion: Ṛśyaśṛṅga, once related by marriage, will be the instrumental cause for Daśaratha obtaining sons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Faith in satya-vākya (true speech) and reverence for sanctified agency—recognizing that outcomes should arise through dharma, not coercion.