Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 40, Shloka 19

सगरपुत्राणां रसातलगमनम्

The Descent of Sagara’s Sons and the Wrath of Kapila

Devanagari script

पश्चिमायामपि दिशि महान्तमचलोपमम्।।।।दिशागजं सौमनसं ददृशुस्ते महाबला:।

Transliteration

paścimāyām api diśi mahāntam acalopamam |

diśāgajaṃ saumanasaṃ dadṛśus te mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

また西の方角にも、あの大いなる力を備えた者たちは、方位を守護する象サウマナサを見た。巨大にして山のごとくであった。

Word by Word

• tam: that (elephant)
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• pradakṣiṇam: circumambulation
• pradakṣiṇam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त

• pṛṣṭvā: having asked
• pṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having asked/enquired’

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

• api: also
• api: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle ‘also’)

• nirāmayam: (about) wellbeing; free from illness
• nirāmayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-āmaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘well/without illness’ (object-complement to pṛṣṭvā: asked about wellbeing)

• khanantaḥ: digging
• khanantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: khan (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘te’ समनाधिकरणम्

• samupakrāntāḥ: having set out; proceeded
• samupakrāntāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-kram (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having set out/approached’

• diśam: direction
• diśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• haimavatīm: Haimavatī (northern)
• haimavatīm: Viśeṣaṇa of karma (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: haimavatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘diśam’ विशेषयति (northern/Himālaya-side)

• tataḥ: from there; then
• tataḥ: Apādāna/Temporal (अपादान/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb ‘from there/then’)

Context

Possessed of great strength, they beheld also in the western quarter a great elephant of the quarter named Saumanasa resembling a mountain.

FAQs

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

The verse reinforces dharma as ordered guardianship: each quarter has its protector, suggesting that stability arises when each being fulfills its appointed role.

What is the narrative situation?

While digging through the western direction, Sagara’s sons encounter the western directional elephant named Saumanasa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Awe and recognition: encountering cosmic guardians cultivates humility before a larger moral and cosmic structure.