Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.7: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 7

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम् · The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Devanagari script

तस्य पर्वणि तं यज्ञं यजमानस्य वासवः ।

राक्षसीं तनुमास्थाय यज्ञीयाश्वमपाहरत् ॥७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.7

Transliteration

tasya parvaṇi taṃ yajñaṃ yajamānasya vāsavaḥ |

rākṣasīṃ tanum āsthāya yajñīyāśvam apāharat ||7||

Translation

યજ્ઞના સમાપન પર્વદિને, યજમાન સગર યજ્ઞમાં પ્રવૃત્ત હતા ત્યારે, વાસવ (ઇન્દ્ર) રાક્ષસી રૂપ ધારણ કરીને યજ્ઞીય અશ્વને અપહૃત કરી ગયો.

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Word by Word

• तस्य: of him (Sagara)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (pronoun)

• पर्वणि: on the parvan day (concluding day)
• पर्वणि: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular)

• तम्: that
• तम्: कर्म (कर्म/Direct object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine; referring to yajña as masculine here by usage)

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: कर्म (कर्म/Direct object; contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• यजमानस्य: of the sacrificer
• यजमानस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• वासवः: Vasava (Indra)
• वासवः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• राक्षसीम्: demonic (rakshasa-like)
• राक्षसीम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object-complement with tanum)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) to तनुम्

• तनुम्: a body/form
• तनुम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object of āsthāya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), meaning 'having assumed/taken'

• यज्ञीय-अश्वम्: the sacrificial horse
• यज्ञीय-अश्वम्: कर्म (कर्म/Direct object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञीय (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): 'यज्ञीयः अश्वः'; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपाहरत्: stole/abducted
• अपाहरत्: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Context

On the concluding day of the fortnight (full moon day) while the sacrifice was being performed, Vasava (Indra) assuming the form of rakshasa, had stolen away Sagara's sacrificial horse.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsava (Indra)
• Sagara
• yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the sanctity of yajña and the moral disorder created when sacred duties are obstructed through deceit. Dharma here is the protection of rightful ritual action and social order against adharma (wrongful interference).

What is the narrative situation?

During King Sagara’s Aśvamedha at a crucial concluding parvan moment, Indra disguises himself in a rākṣasa-like form and steals the sacrificial horse, threatening the completion of the rite.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, the virtue expected is steadfast responsibility in protecting dharmic acts—especially a king’s duty to safeguard sacred rites and public order when they are endangered.