Valmiki Ramayana 1.49.4: Bala Kanda, Sarga 49, Shloka 4

अहल्याशापमोक्षः · The Release of Ahalya and Indra’s Restoration

Spoken by IndraSetting: Svarga / deva-assemblyPlaces named: Svarga (implied)

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सुरवरास्सर्वे सर्षिस्सङ्घास्सचारणाः ।

सुरसाह्यकरं सर्वे सफलं कर्तुमर्हथ ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.49.4

Transliteration

tasmāt suravarāḥ sarve saṛṣi-saṅghāḥ sa-cāraṇāḥ |

sura-sāhyakaraṃ sarve saphalaṃ kartum arhatha ||4||

Translation

इसलिए सब देवी लोग और रिशि लोग मुझे फिर से ठीक कर दो। मैंने देवियों के लिए काम किया है, तो अब तुम लोग मेरी मदद करो।

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Word by Word

• dadarśa: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; perfect (he saw)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction
• Role: Connector (समुच्चय)

• mahā-bhāgām: the very fortunate (lady)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; adjective of (implicit) ‘tām’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• tapasā: by austerity
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; Instrumental
• Role: Karana (करण)

• dyotita-prabhām: of shining radiance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dyut (धातु) + dyotita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘having illumined radiance’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• lokaiḥ: by people/worlds
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• api: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle (अपि = even/also)
• Role: Emphasis (निपात)

• samāgamya: having assembled
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having come together’
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• durnirīkṣyām: hard to behold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग) + nirīkṣya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; potential passive participle (णीय/य) sense: ‘hard to look at’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• sura-asuraiḥ: by gods and demons
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Compound: Dvandva

• prayatnāt: with effort
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; Ablative (from/with effort)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)

• nirmitām: created
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√mā (धातु) + nirmita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘created’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• dhātrā: by the Creator (Brahmā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; Instrumental (agent)
• Role: Kartr-karana (कर्ता-करण/कर्तृ)

• divyām: divine
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• māyā-mayīm: illusory
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘made of illusion’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• iva: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; comparison particle
• Role: Comparator (उपमा)

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; pronoun (he)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• tuṣāra-āvṛtām: covered with mist
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣāra (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘covered with mist’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• sa-abhrām: with clouds
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/सहितार्थ) + abhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-समास); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘with clouds’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• pūrṇa-candra-prabhām: like full-moon radiance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + candra (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘having the radiance of the full moon’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; comparison particle
• Role: Comparator (उपमा)

• madhye: in the midst
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative (in the midst)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• ambhasaḥ: of the waters/sky
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘of the waters/sky’ (contextual)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• durādharṣām: unassailable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग) + ādharṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘hard to assail’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• dīptām: shining
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dīp (धातु) + dīpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्तरि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘shining’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• sūrya-prabhām: like the sun's radiance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘having sun-like radiance’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; comparison particle
• Role: Comparator (उपमा)

Sandhi Notes

• सुरासुरैः = सुर + असुरैः
• प्रयत्नान्निर्मिताम् = प्रयत्नात् + निर्मिताम्
• मध्येंऽभसो = मध्ये + अम्भसः

Context

'For that reason, O rishis, charanas and great devatas! it is your duty to restore my testicles for the benefit I have given you'.

The teaching

Public-spirited claims do not automatically sanctify wrongdoing; restoration must align with justice and higher order.

Duties in tension

• Loyalty to deva-collective vs personal accountability
• Seeking benefit vs accepting deserved consequence

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma (leadership accountability), prāyaścitta

How it resolves

Appeal to collective adjudication and remedial action

For your practice

Reflect on motives behind ‘service’; seek correction through rightful channels, not mere self-justification.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bhayanaka (fear), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Supplicant, pressing, uneasy

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Restitution
• Divine polity
• Consequences
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Devas (Suras)
• Rishis
• Cāraṇas

FAQs

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

The verse raises the dharmic question of restitution and responsibility: even if one claims a public purpose, adharma cannot be excused, and ‘deserving’ compensation is ethically contested.

What is the narrative situation?

After suffering the curse’s consequence, Indra urges the assembled divine and semi-divine beings to restore him, arguing that his act was for the gods’ cause.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is discernment (viveka) in leadership—whether a community should reward actions that violate righteousness, even if framed as beneficial.