Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 64, Shloka 14

शब्दवेध्य-अनर्थः, ऋषिशापः, दशरथस्य प्राणत्यागः

The Sound-Target Tragedy, the Sage’s Curse, and Dasaratha’s Death

Devanagari script

भगवंश्चापहस्तोऽहं सरयूतीरमागतः।जिघांसुश्श्वापदं कञ्चिन्निपाने चाऽगतं गजम्।।।।

Transliteration

bhagavaṃś cāpahasto 'haṃ sarayūtīram āgataḥ | jighāṃsuḥ śvāpadaṃ kañcin nipāne cāgataṃ gajam ||

Translation

Wahai Bhagavān, dengan busur di tangan aku pergi ke tepi Sungai Sarayū, berniat membunuh seekor binatang buas—seekor gajah yang datang ke tempat minum.

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• चापहस्तः: with bow in hand
• चापहस्तः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाप + हस्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (possessive: ‘having a bow in hand’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘अहम्’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सरयूतीरम्: to the bank of Sarayu
• सरयूतीरम्: Karma (कर्म/Goal as object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरयू + तीर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘bank of Sarayu’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination)

• आगतः: came, arrived
• आगतः: Kriya (क्रिया as participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past active participle in sense); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come/arrived’

• जिघांसुः: wishing to kill
• जिघांसुः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + सन् (इच्छार्थक) → जिघांसु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सन्नन्त-इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (Desiderative participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘अहम्’

• श्वापदम्: a wild beast
• श्वापदम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कञ्चित्: some, a certain
• कञ्चित्: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित/अनिर्दिष्ट (Indefinite pronoun used adjectivally); पुं/नपुंसक; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘श्वापदम्’

• निपाने: at the watering place
• निपाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयाव्यय (Conjunction)

• आगतम्: that had come
• आगतम्: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘गजम्’

• गजम्: elephant
• गजम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

Context

Wishing to hunt a wild elephant coming down to the water hole for drinking, I went to the bank of Sarayu, bow in hand, O revered sage!

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Sarayū River
• bow (cāpa)
• elephant (gaja)

FAQs

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

It raises the ethical tension between kṣatriya pursuits (hunting/weapon-bearing) and the duty to avoid careless harm—dharma requires vigilance so power does not become violence.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha begins recounting the circumstances of the accident: he went hunting by the Sarayū with his bow.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Candor in recounting facts—he narrates the chain of intent and setting without concealment.