Shloka 23

The Origin of the Daṇḍaka Forest and Rāma’s Dharma-Judgment

Vulture vs. Owl

Devanagari script

सुनासां चारुसर्वांगीं पीनोन्नतपयोधराम् । मध्ये क्षामां च विस्तीर्णां दृष्ट्वा तां कुरुते मुदम्

Transliteration

sunāsāṃ cārusarvāṃgīṃ pīnonnatapayodharām | madhye kṣāmāṃ ca vistīrṇāṃ dṛṣṭvā tāṃ kurute mudam

Translation

Al verla—de hermosa nariz, bella en todos sus miembros, de pechos llenos y erguidos, ceñida en la cintura y amplia en las caderas—se llenó de gozo.

Word by Word

• सुनासाम्: having a fine nose
• सुनासाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + नासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु-नासा = having a beautiful nose)

• चारुसर्वाङ्गीम्: whose whole body is lovely
• चारुसर्वाङ्गीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु + सर्वाङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (चारवः सर्वे अङ्गाः यस्याः)

• पीनोन्नतपयोधराम्: with full, uplifted breasts
• पीनोन्नतपयोधराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीन + उन्नत + पयोधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (पीनौ उन्नतौ पयोधरौ यस्याः)

• मध्ये: at the waist, in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘in the middle/waist’

• क्षामाम्: slender
• क्षामाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विस्तीर्णाम्: broad, expansive
• विस्तीर्णाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + स्तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कुरुते: feels, experiences
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मुदम्: joy
• मुदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narratorial description (speaker not explicitly identifiable from the single verse alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: forest

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: चारुसर्वांगीं → चारु-सर्वाङ्गीम्; पीनोन्नतपयोधराम् → पीन-उन्नत-पयोधराम्; दृष्ट्वा तां → दृष्ट्वा ताम् (no change).

FAQs

What is the main sense of this verse in context?

It is a poetic physical description (rūpa-varṇana) of a woman’s beauty, ending with the observer’s emotional response—he feels joy upon seeing her.

Does this verse teach a direct theological or ethical doctrine?

Not directly; it functions primarily as narrative/poetic description. Any broader ethical or devotional lesson would depend on the surrounding story in Adhyaya 37.

Why are terms like “madhye kṣāmā” and “vistīrṇā” used together?

They create a standard Sanskrit poetic contrast: slenderness at the waist (madhye kṣāmā) paired with breadth in the lower body (vistīrṇā), emphasizing an idealized graceful form.