Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ते वसन्तमनुप्राप्तं प्रतिबुद्ध्वा परस्परम्।नष्टसन्देशकालार्था निपेतुर्धरणीतले।।।।

Transliteration

te vasantam anuprāptaṃ pratibuddhvā parasparam |

naṣṭasandeśakālārthā nipetur dharaṇītale ||

Translation

S’apercevant entre eux que le printemps était venu et que l’heure fixée pour rendre compte avait été perdue, ils se prosternèrent sur la terre.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वसन्तम्: spring
• वसन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्

• अनुप्राप्तम्: having arrived/come upon
• अनुप्राप्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu√prāp (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; वसन्तम् इति विशेषणम्

• प्रतिबुद्ध्वा: having realized/awakened to
• प्रतिबुद्ध्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati√budh (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययम् (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• परस्परम्: mutually, to one another
• परस्परम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; परस्पर-भावे (reciprocally)

• नष्टसन्देशकालार्थाः: those whose message/time/purpose was lost (i.e., who missed the deadline)
• नष्टसन्देशकालार्थाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (नष्ट, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + sandeśa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; नष्टः सन्देशकालार्थः येषाम् इति भावः); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ते इति विशेषणम्

• निपेतुः: fell down
• निपेतुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√pat (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/Parokṣa) प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person) बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• धरणीतले: on the ground
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī-tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: धरण्याः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्

Context

Having realised (looking at the flowers) that spring has set in and they have exceeded the time limit, they all fell down on the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Vānaras
• Vasanta (spring)
• Sugrīva (implied deadline for report/message)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes remorse and recognition of failure: admitting a lapse is ethically superior to denial, and it prepares one for corrective action.

What is the narrative situation?

The vānaras conclude that the season has changed and thus the mission’s time limit has been exceeded; despair overwhelms them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness to circumstances (satya-buddhi)—they accept the fact of delay, even though it is painful.