Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 80, Shloka 11

मर्गनिर्माणम्

Roadworks and the Royal Route Prepared for Bharata

Devanagari script

अचिरेणैव कालेन परिवाहान्बहूदकान्।चक्रुर्बहुविधाकारान् सागरप्रतिमान्बहून्।।।।

Transliteration

acireṇaiva kālena parivāhān bahūdakān |

cakruḥ bahuvidhākārān sāgarapratimān bahūn ||

Translation

अतिशय अल्प काळात त्यांनी भरपूर पाणी असलेले अनेक जलवाह व जलाशय तयार केले—विविध आकारांचे, जलधारणेत समुद्रासारखे विशाल।

Word by Word

• acireṇa: in a short time
• acireṇa: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acira (अचिर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; instrumental of time-span (काल-करण) 'in a short (time)'

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle

• kālena: with time / within time
• kālena: Karaṇa (करण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (काल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; instrumental of time

• parivāhān: water-courses / channels
• parivāhān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parivāha (परिवाह-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• bahūdakān: with much water
• bahūdakān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu + udaka (बहु + उदक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: bahu udakaṃ yeṣām (having much water)

• cakruḥ: made / constructed
• cakruḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (Perfect), Prathama puruṣa, Bahuvacana; parasmaipada

• bahuvidhākārān: of many shapes
• bahuvidhākārān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahuvidha + ākāra (बहुविध + आकार-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: bahuvidhaḥ ākāraḥ yeṣām (of many kinds of shapes); qualifying parivāhān

• sāgara-pratimān: ocean-like
• sāgara-pratimān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāgara + pratima (सागर + प्रतिम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: sāgarasya pratimaḥ (like the ocean)

• bahūn: many
• bahūn: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (बहु-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; qualifying parivāhān

Context

In a short time they constructed many water reservoirs of different shapes capable of holding large volumes of water like the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata (implied by sarga context)

FAQs

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

Welfare-oriented dharma: ensuring water availability and managing resources for travel and habitation reflects the ruler’s duty to sustain life and prevent hardship.

What is the narrative situation?

Advance teams rapidly build substantial waterworks to support the moving party and camps along the way.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Efficiency and public-spiritedness—skilled workers act quickly for the common good.