Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 13, Shloka 62

रावणभवनपरिक्रमणं हनूमतः शोकविचारश्च

Hanuman’s Circuit of Ravana’s Palace and the Crisis of Deliberation

Devanagari script

ध्रुवं तु रक्षोबहुला भविष्यति वनाकुला।अशोकवनिका पुण्या सर्वसंस्कारसंस्कृता।।।।

Transliteration

dhruvaṃ tu rakṣobahulā bhaviṣyati vanākulā |

aśokavanikā puṇyā sarvasaṃskārasaṃskṛtā ||

Translation

Sin duda, este sagrado bosque de Aśoka—espeso de árboles—estará muy custodiado por rākṣasas y mantenido con esmero en todo.

Word by Word

• ध्रुवम्: surely
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of certainty)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• रक्षः-बहुला: full of demons
• रक्षः-बहुला: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) + बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rakṣasāṃ bahulā = abounding in demons), विशेषण (qualifying अशोकवनिका)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वन-आकुला: thick with trees
• वन-आकुला: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (vanena ākulā = crowded with trees), विशेषण (qualifying अशोकवनिका)

• अशोक-वनिका: the Aśoka-grove
• अशोक-वनिका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + वनिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (aśokasya vanikā)

• पुण्या: sacred
• पुण्या: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्व-संस्कार-संस्कृता: well-tended with every refinement
• सर्व-संस्कार-संस्कृता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (sarvaiḥ saṃskāraiḥ saṃskṛtā = well-cultivated by all refinements), विशेषण

Context

'This Ashoka grove filled with many trees, guarded by many demons is carefully tended. It must be sacred.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka-vānikā
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

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

Dharma-driven action requires realism: recognizing danger and preparing carefully so that the righteous goal (finding Sītā) is achieved without reckless harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanuman anticipates that Aśoka-vāṭikā, being special and sacred, will be well-kept and therefore strongly guarded.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical intelligence—he reads the environment and predicts security conditions.