Shloka 40

रावणभवनपरिक्रमणं हनूमतः शोकविचारश्च

Hanuman’s Circuit of Ravana’s Palace and the Crisis of Deliberation

Devanagari script

हस्तादानो मुखादानो नियतो वृक्षमूलिकः।।।।वानप्रस्थो भविष्यामि ह्यदृष्ट्वा जनकात्मजाम्।सागरानूपजे देशे बहुमूलफलोदके।।।।

Transliteration

hastādāno mukhādāno niyato vṛkṣamūlikaḥ |

vānaprastho bhaviṣyāmi hy adṛṣṭvā janakātmajām ||

Translation

Si je ne vois pas la fille de Janaka, je vivrai ici tel un ermite des forêts : maître de moi, me nourrissant de ce qui vient à ma main et à ma bouche, et des racines au pied des arbres.

Word by Word

• हस्तादानः: taking (food) by hand
• हस्तादानः: कर्ता (Karta; predicate adjective of अहम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + आदान (प्रातिपदिक; √दा/आ+दा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (हस्तात् आदानम् यस्य = taking (food) by hand)

• मुखादानः: taking (food) by mouth
• मुखादानः: कर्ता (Karta; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + आदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुखेन आदानम् = taking by mouth; i.e., eating only what is obtained)

• नियतः: disciplined
• नियतः: कर्ता (Karta; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + यम् (धातु) से 'नियत' (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'restrained/regulated'

• वृक्षमूलिकः: living on tree-roots
• वृक्षमूलिकः: कर्ता (Karta; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मूलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वृक्ष-मूलं आहारः/आश्रयः यस्य = living on tree-roots)

• वानप्रस्थः: a forest-hermit (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थः: कर्ता (Karta; predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (वनं प्रस्थः/प्रस्थानं यस्य = forest-dweller; hermit of vānaprastha stage)

• भविष्यामि: I will become
• भविष्यामि: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (indeed)

• अदृष्ट्वा: without seeing
• अदृष्ट्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial; cause/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) with negation prefix अ-; 'not having seen'

• जनकात्मजाम्: Janaka's daughter (Sita)
• जनकात्मजाम्: कर्म (Object of अदृष्ट्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (daughter of Janaka)

• सागरानूपजे: in the sea-shore region
• सागरानूपजे: अधिकरण (Locative; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + अनूपज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सागर-अनूपे जायते = born in/connected with sea-shore marshland); विशेषण of देशे

• देशे: in a place/region
• देशे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• बहुमूलफलोदके: in a region rich in roots, fruits, and water
• बहुमूलफलोदके: अधिकरण (Locative; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (बहूनि मूलफलोदकानि यस्मिन् = having many roots, fruits, and water); विशेषण of देशे

Context

"If Janaki is not found I will stay here and live like a hermit subsisting on whatever is available on this sea shore, which has abundance of roots, fruits and water.

Characters & Entities

• Sita (Janakatmaja)

FAQs

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

Steadfast commitment to duty: Hanuman frames failure not as an excuse to return, but as a call to stricter self-discipline and continued striving toward the righteous objective (finding Sītā).

What is the narrative situation?

In Lanka, after searching, Hanuman is distressed and considers austere options if he cannot locate Sītā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Resolve (dhṛti) and self-control (niyama): he is prepared to endure hardship rather than abandon the mission.