Shloka 23

वानरसेनामोचनम् / Mobilization of the Vanara Hosts

Devanagari script

फलमूलेन जीवन्तो हिमवन्तमुपाश्रिताः।तेषां कोटिसहस्राणां सहस्रं समवर्तत।।।।

Transliteration

phalamūlena jīvanto himavantam upāśritāḥ |

teṣāṃ koṭisahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ samavartata ||

Translation

Vivants de fruits et de racines, réfugiés auprès du saint Himavat ; parmi leurs milliers de crores, un millier encore de vastes troupes se tint prêt.

Word by Word

• फल-मूलेन: with fruits and roots
• फल-मूलेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/instrumental), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (फलानि च मूलानि च)

• जीवन्तः: living on / subsisting
• जीवन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जीव् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/प्रत्यय: present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (उपाश्रिताः/वानराः)

• हिमवन्तम्: Himavat (the mountain)
• हिमवन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/accusative), एकवचन

• उपाश्रिताः: having resorted to
• उपाश्रिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (having resorted to)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कोटि-सहस्राणाम्: of thousands of crores
• कोटि-सहस्राणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (here: प्रथमा as subject of समवर्तत)

• समवर्तत: was formed/assembled
• समवर्तत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Context

Then monkeys residing at mount Himavan feeding on fruits and roots came in thousands of crores. (This number is called Shankha 1000,000,000,000,0, it is one digit higher than Mahapadma.)

Characters & Entities

• Himavat (Himalaya)
• vānaras (monkeys)
• fruits and roots (phala-mūla)

FAQs

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

Dharma is readiness to act for righteousness even from a simple, ascetic way of life—those sustained by fruits and roots still rise to protect truth.

What is the narrative situation?

Vālmīki describes the enormous Himavat-based contingents that assemble, emphasizing scale and preparedness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Simplicity joined with strength—self-restraint (mitāhāra) paired with willingness to serve.