Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 28

पुत्रजन्मोत्सवः — Birth of the Princes and Viśvāmitra’s Arrival

Bālakāṇḍa 18

Devanagari script

सर्वप्रियकरस्तस्य रामस्यापि शरीरत:।।।।लक्ष्मणो लक्ष्मिसम्पन्नो बहि:प्राण इवापर:।

Transliteration

sarvapriyakaraḥ tasya rāmasyāpi śarīrataḥ ||

lakṣmaṇo lakṣmisaṁpanno bahiḥprāṇa ivāparaḥ ||

Translation

吉祥の福徳を備えたラクシュマナは、ラーマの喜ぶことをことごとく行い、それは自らの身体のため以上であった。まるで外に現れたもう一つの命の息のようであった。

Word by Word

• सर्वप्रियकरः: doing everything pleasing
• सर्वप्रियकरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-प्रिय-कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सर्वं प्रियं करोति)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रामस्य: of Rāma
• रामस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (particle: also/even)

• शरीरतः: even with (his) body / bodily
• शरीरतः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘from/with respect to the body’

• लक्ष्मणः: Lakṣmaṇa
• लक्ष्मणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लक्ष्मिसम्पन्नः: endowed with auspiciousness
• लक्ष्मिसम्पन्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्ष्मी-सम्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (लक्ष्म्या सम्पन्नः)

• बहिःप्राणः: life-breath outside (the body)
• बहिःप्राणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहिः-प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (बहिः स्थितः प्राणः)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• अपरः: another/second
• अपरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Context

Lakshmana, possessed of fortune, was the dearest to his brother than his own body. As though he was his life without.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• prāṇa (life-breath)

FAQs

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

Selfless service: dharma can be expressed as placing another’s righteous good above one’s own comfort, without envy or calculation.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator intensifies the description of Lakṣmaṇa’s closeness to Rāma, using the metaphor of an ‘outer life-breath’.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Self-effacing devotion and protective companionship.