Shloka 9

सुन्‍दरकाण्डे एकत्रिंशः सर्गः

Hanuman’s Sweet Address to Sita and Sita’s Recognition

Devanagari script

तेन तत्र महारण्ये मृगयां परिधावता।राक्षसा निहताश्शूरा बहवः कामरूपिणः।।।।

Transliteration

tena tatra mahāraṇye mṛgayāṃ paridhāvatā | rākṣasā nihatāḥ śūrā bahavaḥ kāmarūpiṇaḥ ||

Translation

ആ മഹാവനത്തിൽ അവൻ വേട്ടയ്ക്കായി ചുറ്റിനടക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഇഷ്ടാനുസരണം രൂപം മാറുന്ന അനേകം ശൂരരാക്ഷസന്മാർ അവന്റെ കൈകളാൽ വധിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him
• तेन: करण (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• महा-अरण्ये: in the great forest
• महा-अरण्ये: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् अरण्यम्)

• मृगयाम्: hunting
• मृगयाम्: कर्म (Object/Activity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (accusative of activity: 'hunting')

• परिधावता: while chasing
• परिधावता: कर्ता (Agent; participial attendant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√धाव् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; 'while running/chasing around'

• राक्षसाः: demons
• राक्षसाः: कर्ता (Agent in passive sense with nihatāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• निहताः: were killed
• निहताः: क्रिया (Predicate; passive/participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√हन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), प्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• शूराः: valiant
• शूराः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; राक्षसाः इति विशेषण

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• काम-रूपिणः: shape-shifting at will
• काम-रूपिणः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समास (कामेन रूपं धारयन्ति = able to assume forms at will)

Context

"In the deep forest he went round hunting animals and killing the demon warriors who assumed any form at their free will.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• mahāraṇya (great forest)
• rākṣasa

FAQs

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

Kṣātra-dharma includes removing violent threats that destabilize the moral order; force is justified as protection against predatory harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā recalls Rāma’s forest life where he confronted and destroyed dangerous Rākṣasas who roamed the wilderness in deceptive forms.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protective valor—courage used to secure safety in places where deception and violence prevail.