Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.13: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 13

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम्

The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Devanagari script

तद्गच्छत विचिन्वध्वं पुत्रका: भद्रमस्तु व:।समुद्रमालिनीं सर्वां पृथिवीमनुगच्छत।।1.39.13।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.13

Transliteration

tad gacchata vicinvadhvaṁ putrakāḥ bhadram astu vaḥ |

samudramālinīṁ sarvāṁ pṛthivīm anugacchata ||1.39.13||

Translation

Ainsi donc, mes fils, allez et cherchez ; que l’auspice soit avec vous. Parcourez et examinez toute la terre, ceinte par les océans.

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Word by Word

• तत्: therefore
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (वाक्य-सम्बन्ध/Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative: 'therefore/then')

• गच्छत: go
• गच्छत: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ/Main injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विचिन्वध्वम्: search/investigate
• विचिन्वध्वम्: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ/Main injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चि (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुत्रकाः: O dear sons
• पुत्रकाः: सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भद्रम्: auspiciousness/welfare
• भद्रम्: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject of astu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्तु: may it be
• अस्तु: क्रिया (आशीर्वाद/benediction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• वः: for you
• वः: सम्प्रदान (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन (Plural); here dative sense 'for you'

• समुद्र-मालिनीम्: ocean-garlanded
• समुद्र-मालिनीम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मालिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'समुद्रैः मालिनी' (garlanded with oceans); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण to पृथिवीम्

• सर्वाम्: entire
• सर्वाम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण to पृथिवीम्

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object of anugacchata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनुगच्छत: go through/follow (in search)
• अनुगच्छत: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ/Main injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

Context

'O sons, acquiring yojana by yojana the length and breadth of the earth, search for the thief of the horse. Excavate the earth till the time the horse is found. This is my command'.

Characters & Entities

• Sagara
• earth (pṛthivī)
• oceans (samudra)

FAQs

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

Dharma is the performance of assigned duty with courage and care—Sagara sends his sons to act decisively while also blessing their safety, balancing authority with responsibility.

What is the narrative situation?

Sagara formally dispatches his sons to search across the entire world for the cause of the sacrificial disruption (the missing horse).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Leadership that combines command with goodwill—he issues a clear task and invokes auspicious protection for those who must carry it out.