Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 10, Shloka 5

ऋश्यशृङ्ग-आनयनम्

Bringing Ṛśyaśṛṅga to Aṅga and His Marriage to Śāntā

Devanagari script

गणिकास्तत्र गच्छन्तु रूपवत्यस्स्वलङ्कृता:।प्रलोभ्य विविधोपायैरानेष्यन्तीह सत्कृता:।।।।

Transliteration

gaṇikās tatra gacchantu rūpavatyas svalañkṛtāḥ |

pralobhya vividhopāyair āneṣyantīha satkṛtāḥ ||

Translation

«Que vayan allí hermosas cortesanas, bien engalanadas; con diversos medios de seducción lo atraerán y, tratadas con honor, lo traerán aquí».

Word by Word

• गणिकाः: courtesans
• गणिकाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गच्छन्तु: let (them) go
• गच्छन्तु: विधेय (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) ‘to go’
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• रूपवत्यः: beautiful
• रूपवत्यः: कर्ता (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणिकाः)

• स्वलङ्कृताः: well-adorned
• स्वलङ्कृताः: कर्ता (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + अलङ्कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ ‘to do’ with अलं-; PPP) → स्वलङ्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणिकाः)

• प्रलोभ्य: having lured
• प्रलोभ्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √लुभ् (धातु) ‘to entice’ (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having enticed’

• विविधोपायैः: by various means
• विविधोपायैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विविधोपाय (प्रातिपदिक) = विविध + उपाय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (विविधाः उपायाः)

• आनेष्यन्ति: they will bring
• आनेष्यन्ति: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √नी (धातु) ‘to bring/lead’ (future stem नेष्य-)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future/भविष्यत्), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सत्कृताः: well-honoured / well-treated
• सत्कृताः: कर्ता (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ PPP) → सत्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणिकाः)

Context

The king (Romapada) went out to welcome the ascetic, the brahmin who brought along with him rains to his country. He humbly bowed down his head and prostrated before him.

Characters & Entities

• Romapāda
• Ṛśyaśṛṅga
• courtesans (gaṇikāḥ)

FAQs

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

It raises the dharmic question of whether welfare goals justify ethically risky methods—contrasting public duty with personal integrity and non-deception.

What is the narrative situation?

The ministers specify the operational plan: send courtesans to entice Ṛśyaśṛṅga out of the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue so much as political expediency; the verse foregrounds calculated persuasion rather than straightforwardness (satya).