Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नृमांसभोजना रौद्रा ये चान्ये सत्वजातयः।मा च त्वां हिंसिषुः पुत्र मया संपूजितास्त्विह।।2.25.20।।

Transliteration

nṛmāṃsabhojanā raudrā ye cānye satvajātayaḥ | mā ca tvāṃ hiṃsiṣuḥ putra mayā saṃpūjitās tv iha || 2.25.20 ||

Translation

പുത്രാ, മനുഷ്യാംസഭോജികളായ ഭയങ്കര ജീവികളും മറ്റു ക്രൂര സത്ത്വജാതികളും—ഞാൻ ഇവിടെ പൂജിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നവർ—നിനക്കു ഹിംസ ചെയ്യാതിരിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• nṛ-māṃsa-bhojanāḥ: human-flesh-eaters
• nṛ-māṃsa-bhojanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; Tatpuruṣa: 'eaters of human flesh'

• raudrāḥ: fierce
• raudrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• anye: other
• anye: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; 'other' qualifying sattva-jātayaḥ

• sattva-jātayaḥ: species of creatures
• sattva-jātayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक) + jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; Tatpuruṣa: 'species/kinds of creatures'

• mā: may not
• mā: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: Prohibitive particle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā Ekavacana

• hiṃsiṣuḥ: harm
• hiṃsiṣuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hiṃs (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ-lakāra (aorist) 3rd person plural; with mā = prohibitive 'let them not injure'

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana Ekavacana

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tṛtīyā Ekavacana

• saṃpūjitāḥ: worshipped/honoured
• saṃpūjitāḥ: Karta (agreeing participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pūj (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: past passive participle (क्त), Puṃliṅga Prathamā Bahuvacana; qualifies the subject groups

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta; contrast/emphasis

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (place adverb)

Context

May the ferocious breed of cernivores I worship not harm you, O my child!

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Kausalya

FAQs

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

Dharma includes protective responsibility and compassion: a mother (and society) seeks the safety of the righteous, while the righteous proceeds without malice even amid danger.

What is the narrative situation?

As Rama leaves for the forest, Kausalya performs worship and speaks protective wishes so that dangerous beings in the wilderness do not harm him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kausalya’s caring devotion and dutiful guardianship expressed through prayer and ritual support.