Valmiki Ramayana 1.21.4: Bala Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 4

बालकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः · Daśaratha’s Promise, Vasiṣṭha’s Counsel, and Viśvāmitra’s Weapon

Lore

Devanagari script

तस्य रोषपरीतस्य विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः ।

चचाल वसुधा कृत्स्ना विवेश च भयं सुरान् ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.21.4

Transliteration

tasya roṣa-parītasya viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ |

cacāla vasudhā kṛtsnā viveśa ca bhayaṃ surān ||4||

Translation

जब विश्वामित्र गुस्से में भर गए, तो सारी ज़मीन काँपने लगी। देवता भी डर गए।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• tasya: of him
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)

• roṣa-parītasya: seized by anger
• Type: Adjective
• Root: roṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + parīta (कृदन्त; √i क्त with pari-)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (रोषेण परीतः)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; qualifier)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• viśvāmitrasya: of Viśvāmitra
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)

• dhīmataḥ: of the wise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; adjective to viśvāmitrasya
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; qualifier)

• cacāla: shook / trembled
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cal (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)

• vasudhā: the earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasudhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/subject)

• kṛtsnā: entire
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; adjective to vasudhā
• Role: Karta (कर्ता; as qualifier)

• viveśa: entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-viś (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction particle (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)

• bhayam: fear
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; here Nominative as subject of viveśa (fear entered)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/subject)

• surān: the gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural
• Role: Karma (कर्म/object)

Sandhi Notes

• roṣaparītasya = roṣa + parītasya
• dhīmataḥ visarga sandhi before cacāla in recitation

Context

At the sight of the wise sage Viswamitra seized of wrath, the entire earth shook and devatas were gripped in fear.

The teaching

Tapas without kṣamā becomes a cosmic hazard; leaders must prevent escalation by timely dharmic action.

Duties in tension

• Brahminical restraint (kṣamā) vs righteous indignation
• Royal obligation to honor sages vs hesitation causing wrath

Ethical theme

Krodha-niyama (anger regulation) and loka-dharma

How it resolves

De-escalation through Vasiṣṭha’s dharmic counsel to the king

For your practice

Contemplation on the power of tapas and the necessity of kṣamā; japa/śānti-pāṭha as antidote to krodha.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bhayanaka (fear), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Cataclysmic, awe-struck, ominous

Themes

• Dharma
• Tapas
• Rishi-tejas
• Cosmic order
• Ethics
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Earth (Vasudhā)
• Devas (Suras)

FAQs

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

Moral power (tapas/tejas) has cosmic weight. When dharma is threatened—here by a broken promise—the disturbance is portrayed as affecting the entire order of the world.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra’s anger rises at Daśaratha’s reluctance, and the narrative marks this as a world-shaking event.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The formidable spiritual potency of a rishi—self-earned through discipline—capable of compelling even the gods to fear.