Shloka 25

अभिज्ञानप्रदानम्

The Token of Recognition (Chūḍāmaṇi) and the Crow Episode Recalled

Devanagari script

स मां दृष्ट्वा महाबाहुर्वितुन्नां स्तनयोस्तदा।।5.38.25।।आशीविष इव क्रुद्धश्वसन्वाक्यमभाषत।

Transliteration

sa māṃ dṛṣṭvā mahābāhur vitunnāṃ stanayos tadā || 5.38.25 ||

āśīviṣa iva kruddhaḥ śvasan vākyam abhāṣata |

Translation

എന്നെ അപ്പോൾ സ്തനങ്ങളിൽ മുറിവേറ്റതായി കണ്ട മഹാബാഹു ശ്രീരാമൻ, ക്രുദ്ധനായ വിഷസർപ്പത്തെപ്പോലെ ഫുശ്ശെന്നു ശ്വസിച്ചു കൊണ്ട് വാക്കുകൾ ഉച്ചരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he (Rama)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• mahābāhuḥ: the strong-armed one
• mahābāhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘महान्तौ बाहू यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vitunnām: wounded
• vitunnām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√tud (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकृत् (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘mām’ विशेषण (wounded)

• stanayoḥ: in the breasts
• stanayoḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) वा सप्तमी-द्विवचनरूप (Locative dual) संदिग्ध; अर्थतः ‘in/at the breasts’ (सप्तमी-द्विवचन) अधिक संगत

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• āśīviṣaḥ: a venomous snake
• āśīviṣaḥ: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśīviṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान (simile standard)

• iva: like
• iva: Upama-sambandha (उपमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (like/as)

• kruddhaḥ: angered
• kruddhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √krudh (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकृत्, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘saḥ’ विशेषण

• śvasan: breathing hard
• śvasan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śvas (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘saḥ’ विशेषण

• vākyam: words/speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• abhāṣata: spoke
• abhāṣata: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Context

'O Sita with a beautiful lap like an elephant trunk! by whom is your bosom wounded? Who is sporting with an angry five-hooded snake?

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma permits righteous anger when it arises from protecting the harmed; it is not personal malice but a response to injustice.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma sees Sītā injured and reacts with intense protective fury.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protective resolve—anger disciplined by duty (maryādā) rather than uncontrolled violence.