Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 1, Shloka 15

प्रथमः सर्गः

Rama Praises Hanuman; Anxiety over Crossing the Ocean

Devanagari script

ध्यात्वा पुनरुवाचेदं वचनं रघुनन्दनः ।हरीणामीश्वरस्यापि सुग्रीवस्योपशृण्वतः ।।।।

Transliteration

dhyātvā punar uvācedaṃ vacanaṃ raghunandanaḥ |

harīṇām īśvarasyāpi sugrīvasya upaśṛṇvataḥ ||

Translation

Alors le joyau de la lignée de Raghu réfléchit et prononça de nouveau ces paroles, tandis que Sugrīva, seigneur des vānaras, écoutait avec attention.

Word by Word

• dhyātvā: having thought
• dhyātvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु; ध्यै)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), 'having reflected'

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु; वच्)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with vacanam

• vacanam: speech/words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• raghu-nandanaḥ: Raghu's delight (Rama)
• raghu-nandanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) 'delight of Raghu'; Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

• harīṇām: of the monkeys
• harīṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• īśvarasya: of the lord
• īśvarasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular; in apposition with sugrīvasya

• api: also
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) meaning 'also/even'

• sugrīvasya: of Sugriva
• sugrīvasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sugrīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• upaśṛṇvataḥ: while listening
• upaśṛṇvataḥ: Sati-saptamī/Genitive absolute sense (भाववाचक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√śru (धातु; श्रु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular, Masculine; 'while (he) was listening'

Context

"By all means good work was done in searching for Sita. On the contrary, having succeeded, my mind is once again agitated when I think of (crossing) the ocean."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sugrīva
• Raghu (dynasty reference)

FAQs

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

Dharma in governance includes deliberation before action. Rāma models thoughtful speech—decision-making grounded in reflection and truth.

What is the narrative situation?

After embracing Hanumān, Rāma pauses to think and then continues speaking, with Sugrīva attentively present.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s prudence (vicāra) as a leader: he balances emotion with careful planning.