Shloka 31

मारीचाश्रमगमनम्

Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

तेषां दयार्थं गरुडस्तां शाखां शतयोजनाम्।।।।जगामादाय वेगेन तौ चोभौ गजकच्छपौ।

Transliteration

teṣāṃ dayārthaṃ garuḍas tāṃ śākhāṃ śatayojanām | jagāmādāya vegena tau cobhau gajakacchapau ||

Translation

त्यांच्यावर दया करून गरुडाने शतयोजन विस्तारलेली ती शाखा वेगाने उचलली आणि त्या शाखेसह गज व कच्छप—दोघांनाही घेऊन उडून गेला।

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• dayā-artham: out of compassion
• dayā-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dayā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अर्थ-तत्पुरुष ('for the sake of compassion'); द्वितीया-एकवचन used adverbially (purpose)

• garuḍaḥ: Garuḍa
• garuḍaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• śākhām: branch
• śākhām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• śata-yojanām: a hundred yojanas long
• śata-yojanām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास ('hundred-yojana'); द्वितीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; विशेषण to śākhām

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + √dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• vegena: with speed
• vegena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• tau: those two
• tau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Dual), पुंलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/प्रथमा, द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण to tau

• gaja-kacchapau: the elephant and the tortoise
• gaja-kacchapau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + kacchapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative: elephant and tortoise); प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; apposition to tau

Context

Out of compassion for the (endangered) seers Garuda carried away that hundred-yojana-long branch along with the elephant and the tortoise with great speed.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• elephant (gaja)

FAQs

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

Compassion (dayā) is dharma in action: the strong restrain collateral harm and actively protect the vulnerable—here, the seers.

What is the narrative situation?

To prevent danger to the gathered sages, Garuḍa relocates the massive branch, even while it bears an elephant and a tortoise.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dayā (compassion) joined to capability—strength used as protection rather than domination.