Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.21: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 21

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम् · The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Narrated by Viśvāmitra to RamaSetting: JambūdvīpaSearch spreading in all directions while excavating

Devanagari script

एवं पर्वतसम्बाधं जम्बूद्वीपं नृपात्मजाः ।

खनन्तो नरशार्दूल सर्वतः परिचक्रमुः ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.21

Transliteration

evaṁ parvatasambādhaṁ jambūdvīpaṁ nṛpātmajāḥ |

khananto naraśārdūla sarvataḥ paricakramuḥ ||21||

Translation

नरशार्दूल, राजा के बेटे जंबूद्वीप को खोद रहे थे। वहाँ पर बहुत पहाड़ थे, फिर भी वो हर तरफ़ घूमे और ज़मीन खोदते रहे।

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)

• पर्वतसम्बाधम्: crowded with mountains
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत + सम्बाध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जम्बूद्वीपम् इति विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः ‘पर्वतैः सम्बाधम्’ = crowded with mountains
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• जम्बूद्वीपम्: Jambūdvīpa
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बू + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘जम्बोः द्वीपः’ (proper name)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• नृपात्मजाः: the king’s sons
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘नृपस्य आत्मजाः’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• खनन्तः: digging/excavating
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खन् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कालिक कर्तरि कृदन्त (Present Active Participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नृपात्मजाः इति विशेषणम्
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• नरशार्दूल: O tiger among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘नराणां शार्दूलः’
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सर्वतः: everywhere/on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb of place)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)

• परिचक्रमुः: they moved about/went around
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Context

O Foremost among men (Rama)! the princes while thus excavating Jambu dweepa, inthis way filled with mountains, moved around everywhere.

The teaching

Even rightful aims become unrighteous when pursued by destructive means; ends do not sanctify excess.

Duties in tension

• Pursuit of yajña-horse (ritual duty)
• Protection of subjects/land (kṣatriya’s duty to preserve, not ravage)

Ethical theme

Means-and-ends ethics / rāja-dharma

How it resolves

Escalation toward adharma (unresolved here)

For your practice

Practice of restraint: channel effort without harming the ‘field’ (kṣetra)—body, land, relationships—through mindful limits.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Restless, forceful, wide-ranging

Themes

• Itihasa
• Dharma
• Restlessness
• Quest

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sagara’s sons
• Jambūdvīpa

FAQs

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

Dharma requires that searching for truth be tempered by non-injury; wide-ranging effort is not righteous if it becomes destructive to the world.

What is the narrative situation?

Sagara’s sons traverse and excavate across Jambūdvīpa in all directions as part of the horse-search.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Energy and determination, though the narrative framing prepares the ethical critique of uncontrolled pursuit.