Shloka 19

सागरप्रशमनम् / The Pacification of the Ocean and the Building of Nala’s Bridge

Devanagari script

रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरःपद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणः ।सर्वपुष्पमयींदिव्यांशिरसाधारयन् स्रजम् ।।।।जातरूपमयैश्चैवतपनीयविभूषितैः ।आत्मजानांचरत्नानांभूषितोभूषणोत्तमैः ।।।।धातुभिर्मण्डितश्शैलोविविधैर्हिमवानिव ।एकावलीमध्यगतंतरलंपाटलप्रभम् ।।।।विपुलेनोरसा बिभ्रत्कौस्तुभस्य सहोदरम् ।अघूर्णिततरङ्गौघःकालिकानिलसङ्गुलः ।।।।गङ्गासिन्दुप्रधाननाभिरापगाभिस्समावृतः ।देवतानांसरूपाभिर्नानारूपाभिरीश्वरः ।।।।सागरस्समुपक्रम्यपूर्वमाम्नत्यरवीर्यवान् ।अब्रवीत्प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यंराघवंशरपाणिनम् ।।।।

Transliteration

raktamālyāmbaradharaḥ padmapatranibhekṣaṇaḥ |

sarvapuṣpamayīṃ divyāṃ śirasā dhārayan srajam ||

jātarūpamayaiś caiva tapanīya-vibhūṣitaiḥ |

ātmajānāṃ ca ratnānāṃ bhūṣito bhūṣaṇottamaiḥ ||

dhātubhir maṇḍitaḥ śailo vividhair himavān iva |

ekāvalī-madhyagataṃ taralaṃ pāṭala-prabham ||

vipulenorasā bibhrat kaustubhasya sahodaram |

aghūrṇita-taraṅgaughaḥ kālikānila-saṅgulaḥ ||

gaṅgā-sindhu-pradhānābhir āpagābhis samāvṛtaḥ |

devatānāṃ sarūpābhir nānārūpābhir īśvaraḥ ||

sāgaraḥ samupakramya pūrvam āmnatya aravīryavān |

abravīt prāñjalir vākyaṃ rāghavaṃ śarapāṇinam ||

Translation

ທ້າວສາຄະຣະ ຜູ້ເປັນເຈົ້າແຫ່ງສະມຸດ ນຸ່ງຫົ່ມອາພອນສີແດງ ແລະສວມພວງມາລາສີແດງ ມີດວງຕາດຸດກີບບົວ ທັງຍັງທົດທອງພວງມາລາທິບທີ່ຮ້ອຍດ້ວຍດອກໄມ້ນານາພັນໄວ້ເທິງສີສະ. ພຣະອົງປະດັບດ້ວຍຄຳອັນສ່ອງປະກາຍ ແລະເຄື່ອງອາພອນອັນປະເສີດຝັງຮັດນະທີ່ເກີດຈາກສະມຸດ ງາມດຸດພູຫິມະວານທີ່ປະດັບດ້ວຍແຮ່ທາດຫຼາຍຊະນິດ. ທີ່ອົກອັນກວ້າງມີສາຍໄຂ່ມຸກສາຍດຽວ ແລະກາງສາຍນັ້ນຫ້ອຍຮັດນະໃສວາວວັບສີກຸຫຼາບ ປານດັ່ງເປັນຄູ່ຄຽງຂອງແກ້ວເກົາສຕຸພະ. ຮອບພຣະອົງມີຝູງຄື້ນຊົກຊົນບໍ່ຢຸດ ແລະລົມມືດຄຶ້ມໜາແນ່ນຳເມກດຳ. ຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມໂດຍແມ່ນ້ຳໃຫຍ່ໆ ເຊັ່ນ ຄົງຄາ ແລະ ສິນທຸ ພ້ອມທັງເທວະດາຫຼາຍຮູບຫຼາຍນາມ; ທ້າວສາຄະຣະໄດ້ເຂົ້າໄປກ່ອນ ກ້ມຄຳນັບ ແລ້ວປະນົມມືກ່າວຖ້ອຍຄຳຕໍ່ພຣະຣາຆະວະ (ພຣະຣາມ) ຜູ້ຖືລູກສອນພ້ອມຮົບ.

Word by Word

अहम्I

सेतुम्a bridge

करिष्यामिI will build/make

विस्तीर्णेin the vast (expanse)

वरुण-आलयेin Varuna's abode (the sea)

पितुःof (my) father

सामर्थ्यम्capability/skill

आस्थायhaving relied on

तत्त्वम्the truth

आहsaid

महा-उदधिःthe great ocean

Context

"O Ocean! When your water is dried up to the core by my arrows, huge sand will appear."

Characters & Entities

Sāgara (Ocean-god)

Rāghava (Rāma)

Himavān (Himalaya)

Gaṅgā

Sindhu

Devatāḥ (divine beings)

Megha (clouds, implied by kālikā-nila)

FAQs

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

Dharma is upheld through proper conduct between powers: even a cosmic lord approaches with humility, greeting first and speaking with folded hands. Authority is balanced by courtesy and accountability.

What is the narrative situation?

Sāgara manifests in majestic form, accompanied by rivers and divinities, approaches Rāma, offers respectful salutation, and prepares to explain the lawful way forward (the building of a bridge).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sāgara’s humility and diplomatic righteousness—he acknowledges Rāma’s cause and responds in a manner aligned with maryādā (propriety).