Shloka 99

पम्पा

तीर-वर्णनम् / Rama’s Lament at Pampa and the Approach to Rishyamuka

Devanagari script

प्लवैः क्रौञ्चैश्च सम्पूर्णां महामृगनिषेविताम्।अधिकं शोभते पम्पा विकूजद्भिःर्विहङ्गमैः।।।।दीपयन्तीव मे कामं विविधा मुदिता द्विजाः।श्यामां चन्द्रमुखीं स्मृत्वा प्रियां पद्मनिभेक्षणाम्।।।।

Transliteration

plavaiḥ krauñcaiś ca sampūrṇāṃ mahāmṛganiṣevitām | adhikaṃ śobhate pampā vikūjadbhir vihaṅgamaiḥ ||

dīpayantīva me kāmaṃ vividhā muditā dvijāḥ | śyāmāṃ candramukhīṃ smṛtvā priyāṃ padmanibhekṣaṇām ||

Translation

Pampā, colmada de aves acuáticas y de krauñca, y frecuentada por grandes bestias, resplandece aún más con los cantos de las aves. Esas muchas aves jubilosas parecen avivar mi anhelo, mientras recuerdo a mi amada: de tez oscura, rostro de luna y ojos semejantes al loto.

Word by Word

• plavaiḥ: by/with waterfowl (plavas)
• plavaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• krauñcaiḥ: by/with krauñca-cranes
• krauñcaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauñca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• sampūrṇām: filled, complete
• sampūrṇām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sampūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with 'pampām' (understood as object of description)

• mahāmṛga-niṣevitām: frequented by great animals
• mahāmṛga-niṣevitām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣevita (कृदन्त; नि-√sev (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle sense 'inhabited/visited'; compound: mahāmṛga = 'great animals' (कर्मधारय within), niṣevitā = 'frequented'

• adhikam: more, exceedingly
• adhikam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया)

• śobhate: shines, looks beautiful
• śobhate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śubh (धातु)
• Form: Lakāra: Laṭ (लट्/Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• pampā: (Lake) Pampā
• pampā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pampā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vikūjadbhiḥ: warbling, chirping
• vikūjadbhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√kūj (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); present active participle used adjectivally; agrees with 'vihaṅgamaiḥ'

• vihaṅgamaiḥ: by birds
• vihaṅgamaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vihaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dīpayantī: kindling, inflaming
• dīpayantī: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Upapada (भाववर्णन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dīp (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्/causative) + śatṛ/śānac (कृदन्त; here स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्र.एक. शानच्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); present participle used as predicate adjective to 'pampā'

• iva: as if
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of comparison (उपमा-वाचक अव्यय)

• me: my, to me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); enclitic form

• kāmam: desire, longing
• kāmam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vividhāḥ: various, many kinds of
• vividhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); agrees with 'dvijāḥ'

• muditāḥ: joyous, delighted
• muditāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mudita (कृदन्त; √mud (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); past participle used adjectivally; agrees with 'dvijāḥ'

• dvijāḥ: birds (lit. twice-born)
• dvijāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śyāmām: dark-complexioned (lady)
• śyāmām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śyāmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); object of 'smṛtvā' (remembering)

• candramukhīm: moon-faced
• candramukhīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: 'moon-like face'

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• smṛtvā: Kriyā (क्रिया/Non-finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), expressing prior action

• priyām: beloved (woman)
• priyām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to 'śyāmām'

• padmanibhekṣaṇām: lotus-eyed
• padmanibhekṣaṇām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक) + nibha (प्रातिपदिक) + īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: padma-nibha-īkṣaṇa = 'having eyes like lotuses' (upamā)

Context

Pampa, filled with swimming, kraunchas and frequented by big animals looks splendid. The joyous warbling of a variety of birds is highly exciting. They kindle my passion for my young, Moon-faced, lotus eyed beloved.

Characters & Entities

• Pampā
• krauñca birds
• dvija (birds)
• Sītā (implied as ‘beloved’)

FAQs

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

Dharma is the discipline of holding truthfully acknowledged emotion within the bounds of duty: Rāma admits longing for Sītā, yet continues forward on the righteous path to find her.

What is the narrative situation?

While near Lake Pampā, the beauty and bird-calls trigger Rāma’s remembrance of Sītā, intensifying his separation-sorrow as he journeys onward.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness of feeling (satya to one’s inner state) combined with perseverance—Rāma does not deny grief, but does not surrender to it.