Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 71, Shloka 19

जनककुलवर्णनम् तथा सीतोर्मिलादानम्

Janaka’s Genealogy and the Bestowal of Sita and Urmila

Devanagari script

निहत्य तं मुनिश्रेष्ठ सुधन्वानं नराधिपम्।साङ्काश्ये भ्रातरं वीरमभ्यषिञ्चं कुशध्वजम्।।।।

Transliteration

nihatya taṃ muniśreṣṭha sudhanvānaṃ narādhipam |

sāṅkāśye bhrātaraṃ vīram abhyaṣiñcaṃ kuśadhvajam ||

Translation

Ô meilleur des sages, après avoir abattu Sudhanvā, seigneur des hommes, j’oignis à Sāṅkāśyā mon vaillant frère Kuśadhvaja comme roi.

Word by Word

• nihatya: having slain
• nihatya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), 'having killed'

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• muniśreṣṭha: O best of sages
• muniśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th), Singular; tatpuruṣa 'best among sages'

• sudhanvānām: Sudhanvā
• sudhanvānām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sudhanvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• narādhipam: king
• narādhipam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa 'lord of men'

• sāṅkāśye: in Sāṅkāśyā
• sāṅkāśye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṅkāśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (place-name), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• bhrātaram: brother
• bhrātaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• vīram: heroic
• vīram: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective to bhrātaram/kuśadhvajam

• abhyaṣiñcam: I anointed/crowned
• abhyaṣiñcam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√sic (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, Aorist), Parasmaipada, 1st Person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular

• kuśadhvajam: Kuśadhvaja
• kuśadhvajam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (proper noun), Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa name

Context

O Best of ascetics! having killed king Sudhanva, I have crowned my heroic brother Kusadhwaja in Sankasya.

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• Sudhanvā
• Kuśadhvaja
• Sāṅkāśyā (Sankasya)

FAQs

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

Restoration of order after conflict: dharma is not only winning a war but establishing stable, rightful governance by installing a worthy ruler.

What is the narrative situation?

After defeating Sudhanvā, Janaka places Kuśadhvaja on the throne of Sāṅkāśyā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Statesmanship—using victory to create just administration rather than personal aggrandizement.