Shloka 1

हेमन्तवर्णनम् तथा भरतधर्मनिष्ठा-चिन्तनम्

Winter Description and Reflection on Bharata’s Devotion

Devanagari script

वसतस्तस्य तु सुखं राघवस्य महात्मनः।शरद्व्यपाये हेमन्तऋतुरिष्टः प्रवर्तत।।।।

Transliteration

vasatas tasya tu sukhaṃ rāghavasya mahātmanaḥ |

śarad-vyapāye hemanta-ṛtur iṣṭaḥ pravartata ||

Translation

മഹാത്മാവായ രാഘവൻ അവിടെ സുഖമായി വസിക്കുമ്പോൾ ശരദൃതു കഴിഞ്ഞു; പ്രിയമായ ഹേമന്തഋതു ആരംഭിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वसतः: of (him) dwelling
• वसतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vas (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ), Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; agreeing with 'tasya/rāghavasya' = 'of him who was dwelling'

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; pronoun

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय)

• सुखम्: comfort, happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate/subject of 'pravartata' in sense 'comfort prevailed'

• राघवस्य: of Raghava (Rama)
• राघवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; apposition to 'tasya'

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; karmadhāraya: mahān ātmā yasya (great-souled)

• शरद्-व्यपाये: at the end of autumn
• शरद्-व्यपाये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarad-vyapāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: śaradaḥ vyapāyaḥ (departure of autumn)

• हेमन्त-ऋतुः: the winter season
• हेमन्त-ऋतुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hemanta-ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; karmadhāraya: hemantaḥ eva ṛtuḥ (the winter season)

• इष्टः: beloved, desired
• इष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; from √iṣ/इष् in sense 'desired', past passive participle used adjectivally)
• Form: Past passive participle (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifying 'hemantaṛtuḥ'

• प्रवर्तत: set in, began
• प्रवर्तत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; pra+vṛt = to set in/begin

Context

While the great self Rama lived happily there, autumn passed and dear winter set in.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)

FAQs

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

Dharma is steadiness across changing circumstances: seasons change, yet Rāma continues his disciplined life without wavering.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrative transitions to seasonal description, marking the passage of time during their residence in the forest hermitage.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Endurance and equanimity—Rāma remains content and stable as time moves on.