Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 35, Shloka 18

रामलक्षणवर्णनम्

Description of Rama and Lakshmana; Alliance Narrative to Sita

Devanagari script

त्रिवलीवांस्त्र्यवनतश्चतुर्व्यङ्गस्त्रिशीर्षवान्।चतुष्कलश्चतुर्लेखश्चतुष्किष्कुश्चतु स्समः।।।।

Transliteration

trivalīvāṁs tryavanataś caturvyaṅgas triśīrṣavān | catuṣkalaś catullekhaś catuṣkiṣkuś catuḥ-samaḥ ||

Translation

Pada dirinya tampak tiga lipatan, tiga lekuk halus, dan empat rongga lembut; di kepalanya ada tiga pusaran tanda mulia. Empat garis terlihat di bawah ibu jari dan empat garis pada dahi; tingginya empat hasta, dan keempat bagiannya serasi seimbang.

Word by Word

• tri-valī-vān: having three folds (lines)
• tri-valī-vān: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + valī (प्रातिपदिक) + -vat (वत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive): having three folds

• tri-avanataḥ: depressed in three parts
• tri-avanataḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + avanata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, ava-√nam-नम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; अवनत = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• catur-vyaṅgaḥ: having four depressed parts
• catur-vyaṅgaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + vyaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• tri-śīrṣa-vān: having three whorls/spirals on the head
• tri-śīrṣa-vān: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + -vat (वत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त

• catuṣ-kalaḥ: having four lines/marks
• catuṣ-kalaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuṣ (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + kala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• catur-lekhaḥ: having four streaks/lines
• catur-lekhaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + lekha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• catuṣ-kiṣkuḥ: four cubits in measure
• catuṣ-kiṣkuḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuṣ (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + kiṣku (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• catuḥ-samaḥ: even/proportionate in four parts
• catuḥ-samaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuḥ (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

Context

"He is a person with his pairs of eye-brows, nostrils, eyes, ears, lips, nipples, elbows, wrists, knees, testicles, loins, arms, legs and buttocks in good symmetry; he has four sharp teeth. He walks in different gaits like a lion, leopard, elephant and bull as occasion demands; he has sharp nose, charming lips and jaws. He has smooth hair, eyes, skin, teeth and feet and his eight parts of his body namely back, trunk, limbs, fingers, toes, eyes and testicles are long.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma is portrayed as recognizable through harmony and order: the ideal ruler is ‘well-formed’—symbolically, a life arranged by discipline and right measure.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān gives an even more technical set of identifying marks, drawing on traditional bodily-lakṣaṇas used to recognize extraordinary persons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Saṁyata (measuredness): proportion and symmetry function as outward signs of inward restraint and steadiness.