Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.13: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 13

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम् · The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Spoken by King Sagara to Sagara's SonsPlaces named: pṛthivī (earth), samudra (oceans)Dispatch for search across the earth

Devanagari script

तद्गच्छत विचिन्वध्वं पुत्रकाः भद्रमस्तु वः ।

समुद्रमालिनीं सर्वां पृथिवीमनुगच्छत ॥१३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.13

Transliteration

tad gacchata vicinvadhvaṁ putrakāḥ bhadram astu vaḥ |

samudramālinīṁ sarvāṁ pṛthivīm anugacchata ||13||

Translation

Maka pergilah, wahai anak-anakku, dan selidikilah; semoga keberkatan dan kesejahteraan menyertai kamu. Jelajahilah serta periksalah seluruh bumi yang dilingkari lautan.

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Word by Word

• तत्: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative: 'therefore/then')
• Role: सम्बन्ध (वाक्य-सम्बन्ध/Discourse)

• गच्छत: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ/Main injunction)

• विचिन्वध्वम्: search/investigate
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चि (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ/Main injunction)

• पुत्रकाः: O dear sons
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन)

• भद्रम्: auspiciousness/welfare
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject of astu)

• अस्तु: may it be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: क्रिया (आशीर्वाद/benediction)

• वः: for you
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन (Plural); here dative sense 'for you'
• Role: सम्प्रदान (सम्प्रदान/Dative)

• समुद्र-मालिनीम्: ocean-garlanded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मालिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'समुद्रैः मालिनी' (garlanded with oceans); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण to पृथिवीम्
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सर्वाम्: entire
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण to पृथिवीम्
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Object-qualifier)

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Object of anugacchata)

• अनुगच्छत: go through/follow (in search)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ/Main injunction)

Sandhi Notes

• तद्गच्छत = तत् + गच्छत
• भद्रमस्तु = भद्रम् + अस्तु
• पृथिवीमनुगच्छत = पृथिवीम् + अनुगच्छत

Context

'Therefore my sons, go and search this entire earth surrounded by oceans. May you be safe'.

The teaching

A ruler advances sacred and civic duty by delegating action with auspicious intent and clear scope.

Ethical theme

Rājadharma / kartavya (duty)

For your practice

Cultivates niyama (discipline) and śubha-saṅkalpa (auspicious resolve) before undertaking a task.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Directive, auspicious, expansive

Themes

• Dharma
• Royal command
• Duty (kartavya)
• Perseverance

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sagara
• earth (pṛthivī)
• oceans (samudra)

FAQs

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

Dharma is the performance of assigned duty with courage and care—Sagara sends his sons to act decisively while also blessing their safety, balancing authority with responsibility.

What is the narrative situation?

Sagara formally dispatches his sons to search across the entire world for the cause of the sacrificial disruption (the missing horse).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Leadership that combines command with goodwill—he issues a clear task and invokes auspicious protection for those who must carry it out.