Shloka 4.50.2

ऋक्षबिलप्रवेशः — Entry into the Rikshabilam Cave

Devanagari script

सिंहशार्दूलजुष्टेषु शिलाश्च सरितस्तदा।विषमेषु नगेन्द्रस्य महाप्रस्रवणेषु च।।।।

Transliteration

na teṣāṁ sajjate cakṣur na tejo na parākramaḥ |

vāyor iva gatis teṣāṁ dṛṣṭis tamasi vartate ||

Translation

Their eyes could find no steady focus; neither radiance nor valor could aid them. They sped on like the wind, yet their sight moved only within darkness.

Context

They also searched near rivers, mountain streams, hill ranges, caves of lions and tigers, in the rock shelters and difficult spots of vast mountains.

Characters & Entities

• vāyu (wind)
• tamas (darkness)
• vānaras (implied: the search party)

FAQs

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

Dharma is endurance in rightful duty despite diminished capacities: even when strength and skill fail, one continues the assigned task without abandoning it.

What is the narrative situation?

Inside the cave’s darkness, the vānaras cannot see; their usual prowess is ineffective, yet they keep moving forward.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Resolute persistence (niṣṭhā) under disorientation—continuing the search despite fear, fatigue, and sensory failure.