Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 58, Shloka 3

त्रिशङ्कुशापः

Trishanku’s Curse and Appeal to Viśvāmitra

Devanagari script

इक्ष्वाकूणां हि सर्वेषां पुरोधा: परमो गुरु:।न चातिक्रमितुं शक्यं वचनं सत्यवादिन:।।।।

Transliteration

ikṣvākūṇāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ purodhāḥ paramo guruḥ |

na cātikramituṃ śakyaṃ vacanaṃ satyavādinaḥ ||

Translation

Pour tous les rois de la lignée d’Ikṣvāku, le prêtre royal est le guru suprême ; et la parole de celui qui dit la vérité ne peut être enfreinte.

Word by Word

• ikṣvākūṇām: of the Ikṣvākus
• ikṣvākūṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ikṣvāku (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana

• hi: indeed
• hi: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana

• purodhāḥ: the priest
• purodhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purodhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• paramaḥ: supreme
• paramaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifying ‘guruḥ’

• guruḥ: teacher/guru
• guruḥ: Pradhāna (प्रधाना/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate nominative

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• atikramitum: to overstep
• atikramitum: Kriyārtha (क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati-√kram (धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), avyaya; ‘to transgress’

• śakyam: possible
• śakyam: Pradhāna (प्रधाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śak (धातु) + ya (य) (शक्य)
• Form: Potential passive participle (शक्य), Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate with implied ‘asti’

• vacanam: the word/command
• vacanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; subject of ‘śakyam’

• satyavādinaḥ: of the truth-speaking one
• satyavādinaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya-vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘truth-speaker’; Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

Context

For all the kings of the Ikshvakus race, their chief priest is their Guru. It is not possibleto bypass the spiritual preceptor who is true to his word preceptor.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvāku dynasty

FAQs

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

Dharma here is reverence for the legitimate guru (purohita) and honoring satya: a truth-speaking teacher’s word is binding and should not be violated for convenience or desire.

What is the narrative situation?

The king seeks a ritual outcome against established limits; Vasiṣṭha’s sons respond that the Ikṣvāku kings are governed by their priest’s authority and the truth-bound word cannot be bypassed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya (truthfulness) and guru-niṣṭhā (steadfastness to the guru’s authority) are presented as higher than royal insistence.