Shloka 2

शूर्पणखाया आगमनम्

Surpanakha Approaches Rama

Devanagari script

आश्रमं तमुपागम्य राघवस्सह लक्ष्मणः।कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकं कर्म पर्णशालामुपागमत्।।।।

Transliteration

āśramaṃ tam upāgamya rāghavaḥ saha lakṣmaṇaḥ | kṛtvā paurvāhṇikaṃ karma parṇaśālām upāgamat ||

Translation

ആ ആശ്രമത്തിലെത്തി, രാഘവൻ ലക്ഷ്മണനോടൊപ്പം പൗർവാഹ്നിക കർമങ്ങൾ നിർവഹിച്ചു, പിന്നെ പർണ്ണശാലയിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു॥

Word by Word

• āśramam: hermitage
• āśramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter by usage; 2nd case Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), 2nd case Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); referring to āśramam

• upāgamya: having approached/reached
• upāgamya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable (अव्ययभाव)

• rāghavaḥ: Rāghava (Rāma)
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• saha: with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition-like indeclinable (सह-योगे अव्यय) governing Instrumental

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); co-subject with rāghavaḥ

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable (अव्ययभाव)

• paurvāhṇikam: forenoon (ritual)
• paurvāhṇikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paurvāhṇika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), 2nd case Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘karma’

• karma: rite/act
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), 2nd case Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• parṇa-śālām: leaf-cottage
• parṇa-śālām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), 2nd case Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘leaf-hut’

• upāgamat: went/approached
• upāgamat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Context

I have come here, commanded by the king, my father and mother.Intending to obey the orders of my father, and impelled by duty to establish righteousness I have come to reside here.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• āśrama (hermitage)
• parṇaśālā (leaf-hut)

FAQs

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

Steadfast observance of daily duties (nitya-karma) even in hardship; dharma is maintained through disciplined practice.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa arrive at their forest hermitage and proceed with routine rites before entering their dwelling.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s self-discipline and reverence for prescribed duty (ācāra).