Valmiki Ramayana 5.1.30 — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 1, Shloka 30

समुद्रलङ्घनारम्भः

Commencement of the Ocean-Crossing

Devanagari script

रामार्थं वानरार्थं च चिकीर्षन् कर्म दुष्करम्।समुद्रस्य परं पारं दुष्प्रापं प्राप्तुमिच्छति।।।।

Transliteration

rāmārthaṃ vānarārthaṃ ca cikīrṣan karma duṣkaram | samudrasya paraṃ pāraṃ duṣprāpaṃ prāptum icchati ||

Translation

രാമാർത്ഥത്തിനും വാനരകാര്യത്തിനുമായി അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായ കർമ്മം സാധിപ്പിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ച്, ദുഷ്പ്രാപമായ സമുദ്രത്തിന്റെ അപ്പുറക്കര എത്തുവാൻ അവൻ മോഹിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• rāma-artham: for Rāma's sake
• rāma-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (adverbial: 'for the sake of')

• vānarārtham: for the sake of the Vānaras
• vānarārtham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (adverbial: 'for the sake of')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• cikīrṣan: wishing to do/undertake
• cikīrṣan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Desiderative (सन्नन्त) present participle (शतृ); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन) (agreeing with implied subject Hanumān)

• karma: task/deed
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• duṣkaram: difficult
• duṣkaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (agreeing with karma)

• samudrasya: of the ocean
• samudrasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• param: further/other
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (agreeing with pāram)

• pāram: shore/other side
• pāram: Karma (कर्म) (goal as object of reaching)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• duṣprāpam: hard to reach
• duṣprāpam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣprāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (agreeing with pāram)

• prāptum: to reach
• prāptum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitival purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु) with pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्/तुम्) of pra-√āp (प्राप्), expressing purpose

• icchati: wishes
• icchati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

"For the sake of Rama and the vanaras he wants to reach the other shore of the ocean, which is difficult, and indeed impossible".

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vanaras
• Ocean (samudra)

FAQs

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

Selfless duty: Hanumān undertakes hardship not for personal gain but for Rāma’s righteous aim and the community’s welfare.

What is the narrative situation?

The onlookers articulate Hanumān’s motivation immediately before he attempts the crossing to Laṅkā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bhakti and niṣkāma-karman (devoted, selfless action): purpose and loyalty make the impossible deed morally luminous.