Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 36, Shloka 3

बालकाण्ड सर्ग ३६

गङ्गा-प्रभवप्रश्नः, शिवतेजोधारणं, कार्त्तिकेय-जन्म, उमाशापः

Devanagari script

त्रीन् पथो हेतुना केन प्लावयेल्लोकपावनी।।।।कथं गङ्गा त्रिपथगा विश्रुता सरिदुत्तमा।त्रिषु लोकेषु धर्मज्ञ कर्मभि: कैस्समन्विता।।।।

Transliteration

trīn patho hetunā kena plāvayel loka-pāvanī.

kathaṃ gaṅgā tripathagā viśrutā sarid-uttamā |

triṣu lokeṣu dharmajña karmabhiḥ kaiḥ samanvitā ||

Translation

Pour quelle raison Gaṅgā, purificatrice des mondes, inonde-t-elle les trois voies ? Et comment Gaṅgā, renommée Tripathagā et la plus éminente des rivières dans les trois mondes, fut-elle dotée d’une telle puissance, par quels actes, ô connaisseur du dharma ?

Word by Word

• त्रीन्: three
• त्रीन्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्यावाचक-विशेषण), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying पथः

• पथः: paths
• पथः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathin/patha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन) (Vedic/classical variant form for पथान्)

• हेतुना: by what cause
• हेतुना: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• केन: by which / by what
• केन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun (प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); with हेतुना

• प्लावयेत्: would flood / should make overflow
• प्लावयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: plu (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); causative sense 'cause to overflow/flood'

• लोकपावनी: purifier of the worlds (Ganga)
• लोकपावनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + pāvanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa-samāsa (तत्पुरुष): lokān pāvayati iti (उपपद-तत्पुरुष). Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

Why does Ganga, the purifier of the worlds overflow the three paths (worlds)? O knower of dharma what deed made, Tripathaga (flowing in three directions) Ganga well-known in the three worlds as the best (holiest) of all rivers"?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Viśvāmitra
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

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

It models dharmic inquiry: sincere questioning aimed at understanding sacred phenomena and their moral causes (karman) is itself aligned with dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma asks Viśvāmitra to explain why Gaṅgā is called Tripathagā and how she became renowned across the three worlds as the foremost river.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Jijñāsā (earnest desire to know) and humility before a teacher—Rāma seeks truth through respectful questioning.