Valmiki Ramayana 1.47.1: Bala Kanda, Sarga 47, Shloka 1

दितेर्गर्भभङ्गो मरुत्प्रतिष्ठा च

Diti’s Severed Embryo and the स्थापना of the Maruts; Viśālā-nagara Lineage

Addressed to RamaSetting: Kuśaplavana (tapas region)

Devanagari script

सप्तधातु कृते गर्भे दितिः परमदुःखिता ।

सहस्राक्षं दुराधर्षं वाक्यं सानुनयाऽब्रवीत् ॥१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.47.1

Transliteration

sapta-dhātu-kṛte garbhe ditiḥ parama-duḥkhitā |

sahasrākṣaṃ durādharṣaṃ vākyaṃ sānunayā ’bravīt ||1||

Translation

जब उसका बच्चा सात टुकड़ों में काट दिया गया, दिति बहुत दुखी हुई। उसने इंद्र से नरम बात कही। इंद्र को कोई हार नहीं सकता था।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• सप्तधा: into seven parts / sevenfold
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्तधा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• तु: but / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)

• कृते: when (it was) done/cut
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘having been done/cut’ (locative absolute with गर्भे)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• गर्भे: in the embryo / in the womb
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative absolute context
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• दितिः: Diti
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• परमदुःखिता: extremely distressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दितिः इति विशेषण
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• सहस्राक्षम्: Indra (the thousand-eyed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• दुराधर्षम्: unassailable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-आधर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद/नञ्-न; here दुर्वाचक उपसर्ग ‘दुर्’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सहस्राक्षम् इति विशेषण
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• वाक्यम्: words / speech
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• सानुनया: with entreaty / conciliatingly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अनुनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह/स- उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/रीतिवाचक (with entreaty)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• अब्रवीत्: spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• सानुनयाऽब्रवीत् = सानुनया अब्रवीत् (अ + अ → ’)
• Locative-absolute sense: सप्तधा ..
• कृते गर्भे = ‘when the embryo had been cut into seven’

Context

Deeply distressed Diti, having come to know that the embryo had been severed into seven pieces, humbly spoke to the unassailable Indra.

The teaching

Even at the peak of injury, gentle speech can redirect outcomes; restraint is portrayed as a higher strength than retaliation.

Duties in tension

• Indra’s protective duty toward cosmic order vs the moral wrong of harming a fetus
• Diti’s maternal grievance vs the dharma of restraint and measured speech

Ethical theme

Ahiṃsā vs raison d’état (cosmic politics)

How it resolves

Conciliation/forbearance (kṣamā)

For your practice

Practice of kṣamā and vāg-saṃyama (speech-discipline) under provocation; useful for daily japa/vrata observance.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Heartbroken, pleading, restrained

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Non-violence vs fear
• Consequences (Karma)
• Appeasement and reconciliation

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)

FAQs

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

Dharma emphasizes restraint in speech even in suffering: Diti responds with conciliatory words rather than vengeance, modeling self-control.

What is the narrative situation?

After Indra’s act results in the embryo being divided into seven, Diti addresses Indra in a pacifying manner.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Forbearance (kṣamā) and measured speech (vāg-saṃyama) in the face of grievous loss.