Valmiki Ramayana 1.10.5: Bala Kanda, Sarga 10, Shloka 5

ऋश्यशृङ्ग-आनयनम्

Bringing Ṛśyaśṛṅga to Aṅga and His Marriage to Śāntā

Dispatch from city toward the ascetic’s locale, then return to city

Devanagari script

गणिकास्तत्र गच्छन्तु रूपवत्यस्स्वलङ्कृताः ।

प्रलोभ्य विविधोपायैरानेष्यन्तीह सत्कृताः ॥५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.10.5

Transliteration

gaṇikās tatra gacchantu rūpavatyas svalāṅkṛtāḥ |

pralobhya vividhopāyair āneṣyantīha satkṛtāḥ ||5||

Translation

वहाँ सुंदर और सज-धज के तैयार नाचने-गाने वाली लड़कियाँ भेजो। वो अलग-अलग तरह से उसको अपनी तरफ करेगी। फिर उसे इज़्ज़त दे के यहाँ लाएंगी।

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Word by Word

• गणिकाः: courtesans
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
• Role: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)

• गच्छन्तु: let (them) go
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) ‘to go’
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: विधेय (Injunction/विधि)

• रूपवत्यः: beautiful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणिकाः)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)

• स्वलङ्कृताः: well-adorned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + अलङ्कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ ‘to do’ with अलं-; PPP) → स्वलङ्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणिकाः)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)

• प्रलोभ्य: having lured
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √लुभ् (धातु) ‘to entice’ (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having enticed’
• Role: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)

• विविधोपायैः: by various means
• Type: Noun
• Root: विविधोपाय (प्रातिपदिक) = विविध + उपाय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (विविधाः उपायाः)
• Role: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• आनेष्यन्ति: they will bring
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √नी (धातु) ‘to bring/lead’ (future stem नेष्य-)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future/भविष्यत्), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)

• इह: here
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
• Role: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)

• सत्कृताः: well-honoured / well-treated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ PPP) → सत्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणिकाः)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)

Sandhi Notes

• गणिकाः + तत्र → गणिकास्तत्र
• विविध + उपायैः → विविधोपायैः
• आ + नेष्यन्ति (आ-उपसर्ग) → आनेष्यन्ति
• नेष्यन्ति + इह → आनेष्यन्तीह

Context

Beautiful and well-adorned courtesans, may be sent there. They will allure him by various means and honourably bring him here.

The teaching

Adornment and desire can be deployed as power; dharma requires vigilance about means, especially when manipulating the vulnerable.

Duties in tension

• State necessity (bringing the sage’s son for ritual/kingdom welfare)
• Sexual ethics and consent
• Protecting ascetic discipline vs exploiting desire

Ethical theme

Nīti-dharma tension / kāma-niyantraṇa

How it resolves

Policy through seduction (upāya)

For your practice

For practitioners: recognize how sensory beauty can be used to steer the mind; cultivate discernment (viveka) and restraint.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bibhatsa (disgust), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Alluring, manipulative, uneasy

Themes

• Ethics
• Dharma (tension/ethical dilemma)
• Statecraft
• Seduction
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• courtesans (gaṇikāḥ)
• Ṛśyaśṛṅga (implied target of the plan)

FAQs

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

It foregrounds the ethical risk of using adharma-like means (seduction/manipulation) for a perceived public good, inviting reflection on whether ends justify means within dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

The ministers recommend dispatching attractive courtesans to entice the ascetic and escort him to the city as part of a political-religious strategy.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, the virtue is purity and restraint; the verse shows how ornamented allure can become a tool that tests or breaks ascetic discipline.