Valmiki Ramayana 1.55.21: Bala Kanda, Sarga 55, Shloka 21

कामधेनुसैन्यप्रादुर्भावः · Kamadhenu’s Forces, Visvamitra’s Austerities, and Vasishta’s Wrath

Setting: āśramapada (Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage-ground)Places named: tapo-vanaApproach to hermitage for confrontation

Devanagari script

ततो गत्वाऽऽश्रमपदं मुमोचास्त्राणि पार्थिवः ।

यैस्तत्तपोवनं सर्वं निर्दग्धं चास्त्रतेजसा ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.55.21

Transliteration

tato gatvāśramapadaṃ mumocāstrāṇi pārthivaḥ |

yais tat tapovanaṃ sarvaṃ nirdagdhaṃ cāstratejasā ||21||

Translation

फिर राजा वहाँ आश्रम गया। उसने वो सब अस्त्र छोड़ा। उन अस्त्र की आग से पूरा तपोवन जल गया।

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Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), temporal adverb (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• gatvā: having gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having gone’ (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• āśramapadam: the hermitage-site
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama-pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्धारणार्थ—‘आश्रमस्य पदम्’ (place of the hermitage)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• mumoca: released/let loose
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (मुच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• astrāṇi: weapons (missiles)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• pārthivaḥ: the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• yaiḥ: by which
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; ‘by which (weapons)’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• tat: that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (qualifying tapovanam)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tapovanam: the ascetic grove
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas-vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘तपसः वनम्’ (forest of austerities/ascetics)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• sarvam: entire
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tapovanam)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• nirdagdham: burnt down
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-dah (दह् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; here agreeing with tapovanam as predicate/result ‘burnt’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• astratejasā: by weapon-power
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra-tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘अस्त्रस्य तेजसा’ (by the power of the weapon)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• गत्वाऽऽश्रमपदं = gatvā + āśramapadam
• मुमोचास्त्राणि = mumoca + astrāṇi
• यैस्तत्तपोवनं = yaiḥ + tat + tapovanam
• चास्त्रतेजसा = ca + astratejasā

Context

Thereafter king Viswamitra having proceeded towards the hermitage (of Vasishta) and released the weapons by the energy of which the entire forest of the ascetics was burnt down.

The teaching

Violence against the innocent and the sacred is a grave adharma; power used without restraint becomes self-condemning.

Duties in tension

• Kṣatriya assertion of supremacy vs duty to protect sages and sacred places
• Personal vengeance vs loka-saṅgraha (welfare of all)

Ethical theme

Hiṃsā/adharma vs rakṣaṇa-dharma

How it resolves

Pending (sets stage for Vasiṣṭha’s counter-dharma)

For your practice

Reverence for sacred spaces and non-harm; warning against anger-driven action.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Scorching, catastrophic, sacrilegious

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Violence
• Sacred-space

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• tapovana

FAQs

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

Sacred spaces and communities devoted to tapas are to be protected; attacking an āśrama is a grave dharmic violation, showing how adharma begins with disrespect for the innocent.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra physically advances to Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage and discharges astras, causing widespread destruction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The narrative underscores the virtue of non-harm (ahiṃsā) and protection of the vulnerable—virtues that are being violated here.