Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 23

दधिमुख

विज्ञापनम् / Dadhimukha Reports the Madhuvana Incident

Devanagari script

न चाप्यदृष्ट्वा वैदेहीं विश्रुताः पुरुषर्षभ।।।।वनं दत्तवरं दिव्यं धर्षयेयुर्वनौकसः।

Transliteration

na cāpy adṛṣṭvā vaidehīṃ viśrutāḥ puruṣarṣabha | vanaṃ dattavaraṃ divyaṃ dharṣayeyur vanaukasaḥ ||

Translation

Wahai insan terbaik, tanpa melihat Vaidehī, para penghuni rimba yang masyhur itu tidak akan berani mencemari kebun rimba yang menakjubkan ini—yang dianugerahkan sebagai kurnia.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात — 'even/also'

• अदृष्ट्वा: without seeing
• अदृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त अव्यय), 'not having seen' (with privative a-)

• वैदेहीम्: Vaidehi (Sita)
• वैदेहीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदेही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विश्रुताः: renowned
• विश्रुताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'renowned'

• पुरुष-ऋषभ: O bull among men
• पुरुष-ऋषभ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — पुरुषाणाम् ऋषभः

• वनम्: the grove
• वनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दत्त-वरम्: boon-granted
• दत्त-वरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय — दत्तः वरः यस्य तत् (boon-granted)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धर्षयेयुः: would violate/dare to enter
• धर्षयेयुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/विधान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; न + धर्षयेयुः = 'would not dare to violate'

• वन-ओकसः: forest-dwellers
• वन-ओकसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष — वने ओकः (निवासः) येषां ते

Context

"If the renowned vanaras had not seen Vaidehi, they would not have entered the wonderful garden granted as boon (by Brahma).

Characters & Entities

• Dadhimukha
• Rāma
• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Vānaras
• Madhuvana

FAQs

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

Dharma weighs reputation and prior restraint: people known for discipline do not transgress sacred or protected property without a compelling righteous cause.

What is the narrative situation?

Dadhimukha insists that the famed vānaras’ trespass must mean they have already achieved the crucial goal—sighting Sītā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for satya through character-evidence: Dadhimukha relies on the vānaras’ established renown to support the truth of the discovery.