Shloka 28

मारीचाश्रमगमनम्

Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

यस्य हस्तिनमादाय महाकायं च कच्छपम्।।।।भक्षार्थं गरुडश्शाखामाजगाम महाबलः।

Transliteration

yasya hastinam ādāya mahākāyaṁ ca kacchapam |

bhakṣārthaṁ garuḍaḥ śākhām ājagāma mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

ആ വൃക്ഷത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ശാഖയിലേക്കു മഹാബലനായ ഗരുഡൻ ഭക്ഷ്യാർത്ഥം വന്നു; ഒരു ആനയെയും മഹാകായമായ ഒരു കച്ചപത്തെയും എടുത്തുകൊണ്ടുവന്നു.

Word by Word

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• hastinam: elephant
• hastinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hastin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + √dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• mahā-kāyam: huge-bodied
• mahā-kāyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय ('great-bodied'); द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण to kacchapam (or hastinam by sense)

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

• kacchapam: tortoise
• kacchapam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kacchapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• bhakṣa-artham: for food
• bhakṣa-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अर्थ-तत्पुरुष ('for the sake of food'); द्वितीया-एकवचन used adverbially (purpose)

• garuḍaḥ: Garuḍa
• garuḍaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• śākhām: branch
• śākhām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• ājagāma: came
• ājagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mahā-balaḥ: very strong
• mahā-balaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय ('great-strength'); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण to garuḍaḥ

Context

In the past, the mighty Garuda brought an elephant and a huge tortoise and sat on a branch of this tree to feed on them.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Garuḍa
• nyagrodha (implied: the banyan of prior verse)

FAQs

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

The allusion pairs immense power with appetite, inviting a dharmic reading: strength must be governed by right order and restraint; otherwise power becomes mere predation.

What is the narrative situation?

After describing the vast banyan and the sages around it, the narration adds a legendary episode connected with the same tree: Garuḍa once landed there with prey.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Primarily the theme of power (mahābala). In Ramayana ethics, such power is evaluated by whether it aligns with dharma rather than impulse.