Shloka 18

अशोकवनिकाविचारः

Survey of the Aśoka Grove and its Enchanted Landscape

Devanagari script

निर्धूतकेशी युवतिर्यथा मृदितवर्णका।निष्पीतशुभदन्तोष्ठी नखैर्दन्तैश्च विक्षता।।।।तथा लाङ्गूलहस्तैश्च चरणाभ्यां च मर्दिता।बभूवाशोकवनिका प्रभग्नवरपादपा।।।।

Transliteration

nirdhūtakeśī yuvatir yathā mṛditavarṇakā |

niṣpītaśubhadantoṣṭhī nakhair dantaiś ca vikṣatā ||

tathā lāṅgūlahastaiś ca caraṇābhyāṃ ca marditā |

babhūvāśokavanikā prabhagnavarapādapā ||

Translation

മുടി അഴുകി ചിതറിയ, സിന്ദൂരതിലകം മാഞ്ഞുപോയ, ചുംബനത്തിൽ പല്ലും അധരവും ഞെരിഞ്ഞ, നഖദന്തങ്ങളാൽ ക്ഷതവിക്ഷതയായ യുവതിയെപ്പോലെ—ഹനുമാന്റെ വാൽ, കൈകൾ, പാദങ്ങൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ട് ചവിട്ടിമെതിഞ്ഞ്, ശ്രേഷ്ഠവൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ ഒടിഞ്ഞുവീണ അശോകവനികയും അങ്ങനെ തന്നെ തകർന്നതായി തോന്നി.

Word by Word

• निर्धूत-केशी: with dishevelled hair
• निर्धूत-केशी: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of युवतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धूत (धू धातु, क्त) + केशिन्/केशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: केशाः निर्धूताः यस्याः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युवतिः विशेषण

• युवतिः: a young woman
• युवतिः: उपमान (Upamana; standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (Simile connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• मृदित-वर्णका: with cosmetic mark/smear rubbed off
• मृदित-वर्णका: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of युवतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदित (मृद् धातु, क्त) + वर्णक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: वर्णकः मृदितः यस्याः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युवतिः विशेषण

• निष्पीत-शुभ-दन्त-ओष्ठी: with bright teeth and lips pressed/kissed
• निष्पीत-शुभ-दन्त-ओष्ठी: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of युवतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पीत (पी धातु, क्त) + शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + ओष्ठिन्/ओष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: शुभदन्तौष्ठौ निष्पीतौ यस्याः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युवतिः विशेषण

• नखैः: with nails
• नखैः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• दन्तैः: with teeth
• दन्तैः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विक्षता: wounded, scratched
• विक्षता: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of युवतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-क्षत (क्षद्/क्षत्; √क्षद्/क्षत् in sense 'wound', क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युवतिः विशेषण

Context

The garden of Ashoka with trees shattered and crushed by Hanuman's tail, hands and feet, appeared like a woman with dishevelled hair, with her vermilion mark effaced, her bright teeth and lips faded for being kissed and wounded with nails and bitten with teeth (by her lover).

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Aśoka-vanikā (Aśoka grove)

FAQs

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

It raises the dharmic question of force: even when acting for a righteous end, one must remain conscious of collateral harm. The epic often balances necessary strength with the ideal of restraint.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān’s vigorous movement and trampling break and crush parts of the Aśoka grove, and the narrator compares the grove’s disarray to a disheveled young woman.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dauntless capability (śakti/vīrya), while implicitly inviting reflection on self-control (dama) within righteous action.