Valmiki Ramayana 6.2.9 — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 2, Shloka 9

युद्धकाण्डे द्वितीयः सर्गः — Sugriva’s Counsel: From Grief to Strategy

Bridge to Lanka

Devanagari script

सेतुरत्रयथाबध्येद्यथापश्येमतांपुरीम् ।तस्यराक्षसराजस्यतथात्वंकुरुराघव ।।।।

Transliteration

setur atra yathā badhyed yathā paśyema tāṃ purīm | tasya rākṣasa-rājasya tathā tvaṃ kuru rāghava ||

Translation

ឱ រាឃវៈ! សូមរៀបចំឲ្យសង់ស្ពាននៅទីនេះ ដើម្បីឲ្យយើងអាចឃើញទីក្រុងរបស់ស្តេចរាក្សសនោះ។

Word by Word

• setuḥ: bridge
• setuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: setu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: ‘here’)

• yathā: so that
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative/comparative: ‘so that/as’)

• badhyet: may be built
• badhyet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bandh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद/परस्मैपद प्रयोगानुसार; here passive sense ‘may be built’ (कर्मणि)

• yathā: so that
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative: ‘so that’)

• paśyema: we may see
• paśyema: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• purīm: city
• purīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tasya: of that (king)
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• rākṣasa-rājasya: of the rākṣasa-king
• rākṣasa-rājasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (rākṣasānām rājā = king of rākṣasas)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative: ‘thus/in that way’)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kuru: do; arrange
• kuru: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rāghava: O Rāghava
• rāghava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Context

"Raghava! You think that we will be building a bridge and then seeing that city of the king of Rakshasas."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• setu (bridge)
• Laṅkā (implied by ‘that city’)

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as responsible leadership: righteous ends require orderly, truthful planning and disciplined execution rather than impulsive action.

What is the narrative situation?

Before entering Laṅkā, the immediate logistical necessity—building the bridge across the sea—is pressed upon Rāma as the next step.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical wisdom (nīti) in service of dharma—turning resolve into concrete, coordinated action.