Valmiki Ramayana 1.37.6: Bala Kanda, Sarga 37, Shloka 6

कुमारसम्भवः · गङ्गायां तेजोनिक्षेपः

The Birth of Kumāra/Skanda and the Deposition of Śiva’s Energy through Gaṅgā

Spoken by Brahma

Devanagari script

शैल पुत्र्या यदुक्तं तन्न प्रजास्यथ पत्निषु ।

तस्या वचनमक्लिष्टं सत्यमेतन्न संशयः ॥६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.37.6

Transliteration

śaila-putryā yad uktaṃ tan na prajāsyatha patnīṣu |

tasyā vacanam akliṣṭaṃ satyam etan na saṃśayaḥ ||6||

Translation

पर्वत राजा की बेटी जो भी कह दी, वो सच होता है। उसने कहा कि तुम्हारी पतियों से बच्चे नहीं होंगे। यह बात पक्की है, कोई शक नहीं।

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Word by Word

• śailaputryā: by the mountain's daughter (Umā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila-putrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: śailasya putrī (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• yat: whatever which
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Neuter, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; correlates with tat
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• uktam: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• tat: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Neuter, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya negation particle (निषेध-निपात)
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)

• prajāsyatha: you will beget (progeny)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• patniṣu: among (your) wives
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Feminine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• vacanam: statement
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• akliṣṭam: unfailing/untainted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kliṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying vacanam
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• satyam: true
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• etat: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Neuter, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• na: no
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya negation particle
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• yaduktaṃ → yat uktam
• tanna → tat na
• satyamētanna → satyam etat na

The teaching

Duties in tension

• Personal desire for progeny vs. obedience to higher ordinance

Ethical theme

धर्म-संकट/नियति-पालन

How it resolves

Acceptance of binding satya-vākya; redirection to alternative means (Gaṅgā/Agni)

Devotion and practice

Mantra

सत्यमेतन्न संशयः

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Inevitable, austere, binding

Themes

• Satya
• Divine decree
• Dharma
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Umā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

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

Satya: a truthful, binding declaration—especially from a divine source—is treated as inviolable and must be accepted as a moral and cosmic fact.

What is the narrative situation?

Brahmā affirms Umā’s decisive statement that Agni will not generate children through his wives, setting the conditions for the unusual birth of the gods’ future commander.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for truth and decree: the gods are guided to accept a higher moral-cosmic order rather than insist on ordinary expectations.