Shloka 58

दुन्दुभिवधप्रसङ्गः

The Dundubhi Episode and the Proof of Rama’s Prowess

Devanagari script

दिवसश्चास्य मर्यादा यं द्रष्टा श्वोऽस्मि वानरम्।बहुवर्षसहस्राणि स वै शैलो भविष्यति4.11.58।।

Transliteration

divasaś cāsya maryādā yaṃ draṣṭā śvo ’smi vānaram | bahuvarṣasahasrāṇi sa vai śailo bhaviṣyati || 4.11.58 ||

Translation

Éste es el límite fijado para él: un solo día. Cualquier mono que yo vea mañana se convertirá, en verdad, en una montaña por muchos miles de años.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (ततः/क्रमवाचक अव्यय)

• te: those
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vānarāḥ: monkeys
• vānarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), ‘having heard’

• giram: speech/words
• giram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• muni-samīritām: uttered by the sage
• muni-samīritām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-īrita (सम्+ईरित, कृदन्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘muninā samīritā’; Kta-participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with giram

• niścakramuḥ: went out/departed
• niścakramuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis-kram (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• vanāt: from the forest
• vanāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasmāt: from that
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), ‘having seen’

• vāliḥ: Vali
• vāliḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ-lakāra (लुङ्/aorist), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Context

'I give one day's time for the monkeys (to leave). Whomsoever, I see tomorrow will get transformed into a mountain for many thousands of years'

Characters & Entities

• vānarāḥ (monkeys)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is expressed as maryādā—respecting a clearly stated boundary set by a righteous authority. The verse frames consequences as the moral force that protects sacred space and disciplined life.

What is the narrative situation?

A sage declares a strict time-limit: any monkey found after the deadline will be cursed to become a mountain for thousands of years. This establishes why certain regions become forbidden to Vali later.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The sage’s steadfastness in truth and discipline—his word (satya-vākya) is firm, and the rule is not arbitrary but a protective boundary (maryādā).