Shloka 20

किष्किन्धायां सुग्रीवस्य नादः

Sugriva’s War-Cry at Kishkindha

Devanagari script

तस्य शब्देन वित्रस्ता गावो यान्ति हतप्रभाः।राजदोषपरामृष्टाः कुलस्त्रिय इवाकुलाः4.14.20।।

Transliteration

tasya śabdena vitrastā gāvo yānti hataprabhāḥ |

rājadoṣaparāmṛṣṭāḥ kulastriya ivākulāḥ || 4.14.20 ||

Translation

その咆哮に驚き、牛たちは艶を失って逃げ去った。まるで王の統べる力が損なわれ、乱れが国に触れたとき、名門の女たちが狼狽するように。

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (his)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (pronoun stem)

• शब्देन: by the sound/roar
• शब्देन: करण (करणम्/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• वित्रस्ताः: alarmed/terrified
• वित्रस्ताः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Adjectival to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-त्रस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गावः: cows
• गावः: कर्ता (कर्तृ/Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यान्ति: go/move away
• यान्ति: क्रिया (Verb action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हतप्रभाः: with lustre lost/dimmed
• हतप्रभाः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Adjectival to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (√हन् धातु + क्त) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha): हता प्रभा यस्याः/येषाम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine, agreeing with गावः by poetic usage), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• राजदोषपरामृष्टाः: tainted by the king's fault
• राजदोषपरामृष्टाः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Adjectival to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राज (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + परा-√मृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: राजस्य दोषः (राजदोष) तेन परामृष्टाः (touched/tainted by the king's fault); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कुलस्त्रियः: women of noble families
• कुलस्त्रियः: उपमान (Upamāna/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Genitive tatpurusha): कुलस्य स्त्रियः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इव: like/as
• इव: सम्बन्ध (Upamā-marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• आकुलाः: confused/agitated
• आकुलाः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Adjectival to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with गावः)

Context

Sugriva, surrounded by his companions, raised his voice as if piercing the sky, roaring like a huge thundering cloud, challenging Vali to a duel.

Characters & Entities

• Sugriva (implied by ‘his roar’)
• cows (gāvaḥ)

FAQs

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

It gestures to rājadharma: when the ruler’s protective duty falters, the vulnerable are shaken and social order is disturbed—protection is a central moral obligation of kingship.

What is the narrative situation?

Sugriva’s roar is so intense that animals panic; the poet uses a social simile to illustrate the magnitude of upheaval.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Indirectly, the verse emphasizes the king’s duty of protection (a virtue of governance), by showing the chaos that follows its failure.