Valmiki Ramayana 1.40.30: Bala Kanda, Sarga 40, Shloka 30

सगरपुत्राणां रसातलगमनम् · The Descent of Sagara’s Sons and the Wrath of Kapila

Devanagari script

ततस्तेनाप्रमेयेन कपिलेन महात्मना ।

भस्मराशीकृतास्सर्वे काकुत्स्थ सगरात्मजाः ॥३०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.40.30

Transliteration

tatas tenāprameyena kapilena mahātmanā |

bhasmarāśīkṛtāḥ sarve kākutstha sagarātmajāḥ ||30||

Translation

उस कपिल ने सब को राख कर दिया। वो बहुत बड़ा महान आदमी था। सगर के सारे बेटे उसकी आग में जल गए।

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Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

• तेन: by him/that one
• तेन: करण (Instrument/Agentive instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• अप्रमेयेन: by the immeasurable (one)
• अप्रमेयेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); विशेषणम् to तेन/कपिलेन

• कपिलेन: by Kapila
• कपिलेन: करण (Instrument/Doer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled
• महात्मना: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); विशेषणम् to कपिलेन

• भस्मराशीकृताः: reduced to a heap of ashes
• भस्मराशीकृताः: कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृविशेषणम् / विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भस्म + राशि + कृ (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (heap-of-ashes); क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural); भावः: 'made into'

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: कर्ता (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); विशेषणम् to सगरात्मजाः

• काकुत्स्थ: O Kakutstha (Rāma)
• काकुत्स्थ: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकुत्स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• सगरात्मजाः: sons of Sagara
• सगरात्मजाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगर + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative: 'Sagara's sons'); प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

Context

O son of Kakusthas! all the sons of Sagara were reduced to a heap of ashes, by that magnanimous Kapila, whose power was beyond imagination".ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē bālakāṇḍē catvāriṅśassarga:৷৷Thus ends the fortieth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Sagarātmajāḥ (sons of Sagara)
• Rāma (Kākutstha)

FAQs

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

Adharma—especially arrogance and violent accusation toward the holy—brings swift ruin. Dharma teaches reverence, truthfulness, and restraint as safeguards against catastrophic consequences.

What is the narrative situation?

Kapila’s response results in the destruction of Sagara’s sons, who become ashes.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kapila’s spiritual potency (tapas) is emphasized; for the broader moral arc, the implied virtue is humility before sanctity and commitment to satya.