Shloka 40

सुन्दरकाण्डे अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः

हनुमद्वृत्तान्तकथनम्, सीताभिज्ञान-प्रदानम्, लङ्कादाह-वर्णनम्

Devanagari script

बाढमित्येव तां वाणीं प्रत्यगृह्णामहं ततः।अस्यप्रमाणादधिकं तस्याः कायमपूरयम्।।।।

Transliteration

bāḍham ity eva tāṃ vāṇīṃ pratyagṛhṇām ahaṃ tataḥ | asya-pramāṇād adhikaṃ tasyāḥ kāyam apūrayam ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ അവളുടെ വാക്കിന് “ബാഢം—അങ്ങനെ തന്നേ” എന്നു മറുപടി നൽകി; പിന്നെ അവൾ അളക്കാനാകുന്നതിലും അധികമായി എന്റെ ദേഹം വിപുലമാക്കി.

Word by Word

• bāḍham: certainly / well
• bāḍham: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्योपपत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bāḍha (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अनुमोदनार्थक-निपात (particle of assent)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उद्धरणचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), इति-निपातः (quotative particle)

• eva: indeed / just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• tām: that (her)
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• vāṇīm: speech / voice
• vāṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• pratyagṛhṇām: I accepted / I replied (lit. took back)
• pratyagṛhṇām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada); उपसर्गः प्रति- (prati-)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), काल/अनन्तरवाचक (temporal adverb: then/thereupon)

• asya: of this (her)
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (masc/neut), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• pramāṇāt: from the measure / size
• pramāṇāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• adhikam: greater / more
• adhikam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• kāyam: body
• kāyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• apūrayam: I filled / I expanded
• apūrayam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pṝ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada); उपसर्गः आ- (ā-)

Context

"I said 'well' and enlarged my body more than her mouth could hold.

Characters & Entities

• Hanuman
• Siṁhikā

FAQs

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

Dharma permits strategic force against an aggressor when it protects a righteous mission. Hanuman’s controlled self-transformation is a measured response to imminent harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Siṁhikā threatens to eat Hanuman; Hanuman deliberately responds and enlarges his form as part of a tactical countermeasure.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Presence of mind and tactical intelligence—Hanuman adapts instantly rather than panicking.