Shloka 18

सुग्रीवस्य वैरानुकथनम्

Sugriva’s Account of Enmity and Appeal to Rama

Devanagari script

अहत्वा नास्ति मे शक्तिः प्रतिगन्तुमितः पुरीम्।बिलद्वारि प्रतीक्ष त्वं यावदेनं निहन्म्यहम्।।

Transliteration

ahatvā nāsti me śaktiḥ pratigantum itaḥ purīm | bila-dvāri pratīkṣa tvaṃ yāvad enaṃ nihanmy aham ||

Translation

‘അവനെ വധിക്കാതെ ഇവിടെ നിന്ന് നഗരത്തിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങാൻ എനിക്ക് ശക്തിയില്ല. നീ ഗുഹാദ്വാരത്തിൽ കാത്തുനിൽക്കുക; ഞാൻ അവനെ സംഹരിക്കുന്നതുവരെ.’

Word by Word

• sthitaḥ: staying
• sthitaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• iti: thinking ‘thus’
• iti: Vākyaprayojaka (वाक्यप्रयोजक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणार्थक

• matvā: having thought
• matvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having thought’

• tu: then/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधारणार्थक

• praviṣṭaḥ: entered
• praviṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-viś (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘entered’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• durāsadam: hard to approach
• durāsadam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-āsada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: dur (दुष्) + āsada (आसद, ‘approachable/assailable’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; (implicit object: place/cave)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन (enclitic)

• mārgamāṇasya: of (me) searching
• mārgamāṇasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛg (धातु) + śānac (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present middle participle, शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘while searching’ (genitive absolute-like with me)

• gataḥ: passed
• gataḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; saṃvatsaraḥ-विशेषण

• saṃvatsaraḥ: a year
• saṃvatsaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

Context

'I cannot return from here without killing him. Wait at the entrance of the cave until I kill him. Look forward to my return.

Characters & Entities

• Vāli
• Sugrīva
• cave entrance (bila-dvāra)

FAQs

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

Duty-first ethics: one should not abandon a righteous task midway; Vāli treats eliminating the threat as a moral obligation before returning to normal life.

What is the narrative situation?

Before entering the cave to fight, Vāli instructs Sugrīva to remain at the entrance and wait for his return.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Resolve (dṛḍha-niścaya): a firm commitment to complete one’s undertaking, even at personal risk.