Shloka 26

अरण्यकाण्डे एकोनत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sarga 29: Rama’s Admonition to Khara and the Shattering of the Mace

Devanagari script

खरबाहुप्रयुक्ता सा प्रदीप्ता महती गदा।भस्मवृक्षांश्च गुल्मांश्च कृत्वागात्तत्समीपतः।।।।

Transliteration

kharabāhuprayuktā sā pradīptā mahatī gadā | bhasmavṛkṣāṃś ca gulmāṃś ca kṛtvāgāt tat samīpataḥ ||

Translation

ഖരന്റെ ഭുജബലത്തിൽ പ്രയോഗിക്കപ്പെട്ട ആ മഹത്തായ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന ഗദ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളെയും കുറ്റിച്ചെടികളെയും ചാരമാക്കി അവന്റെ (രാമന്റെ) സമീപത്തേക്ക് പാഞ്ഞെത്തി.

Word by Word

• kharabāhuprayuktā: hurled by Khara’s arms
• kharabāhuprayuktā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of gadā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khara + bāhu + prayukta (प्रातिपदिक; prayukta from pra-√yuj धातु)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘set in motion by Khara’s arms’ qualifying gadā

• sā: that (she/it)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता) of agāt
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana; pronoun referring to gadā

• pradīptā: blazing
• pradīptā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of gadā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pradīpta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; pra-√dīp धातु)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana; kta-participle qualifying gadā

• mahatī: great, huge
• mahatī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of gadā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana; irregular stem mahat

• gadā: mace
• gadā: Karta (कर्ता) of agāt
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana

• bhasmavṛkṣān: trees (turned to) ash
• bhasmavṛkṣān: Karma (कर्म) of kṛtvā
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasma + vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Bahuvacana; karmadhāraya ‘ash-(made) trees’ i.e., trees reduced to ash

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• gulmān: shrubs, thickets
• gulmān: Karma (कर्म) of kṛtvā
• Type: Noun
• Root: gulma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• kṛtvā: having made, having reduced
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā-anta), pūrvakāla-kriyā; with object-complement sense ‘having made (them into)’

• agāt: went, reached
• agāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातu)
• Form: Luṅ-lakāra (Aorist), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• tat-samīpataḥ: to his vicinity, near him
• tat-samīpataḥ: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad + samīpatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyayībhāva: ‘near him/that’ used adverbially; ablatival adverb ‘from/at near vicinity’ (here: ‘to near’)

Context

The mace shattered by the arrows of Rama , fell down scattered to pieces on the ground like a female serpent subdued by the force of mantras and medicine.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē araṇyakāṇḍē ēkōnatriṅśassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the twentyninth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Khara
• Rāma
• gadā (mace)
• forest (trees, shrubs)

FAQs

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

Adharma-driven violence harms not only opponents but also the natural world; dharma includes protection of living beings and habitat.

What is the narrative situation?

Khara’s thrown mace devastates the surroundings as it approaches Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s role as a restorer of order is implied against destructive force that scorches the forest.