Shloka 27

मारीचाश्रमगमनम्

Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

तत्रापश्यत्स मेघाभं न्यग्रोधमृषिभिर्वृतम्।।।।समन्ताद्यस्य ताश्शाखाश्शतयोजनमायताः।

Transliteration

tatrāpaśyat sa meghābhaṁ nyagrodham ṛṣibhir vṛtam |

samantād yasya tāḥ śākhāḥ śatayojanam āyatāḥ ||

Translation

ਉੱਥੇ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਮੇਘ-ਵਰਨ ਨ੍ਯਗ੍ਰੋਧ (ਵਟ-ਵ੍ਰਿਕਸ਼) ਵੇਖਿਆ, ਜੋ ਰਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ; ਜਿਸ ਦੀਆਂ ਟਾਹਣੀਆਂ ਚੌਹੀਂ ਪਾਸੀਂ ਸੌ ਯੋਜਨ ਤੱਕ ਫੈਲੀਆਂ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa + √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• megha-ābham: cloud-like
• megha-ābham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: megha (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपमान-तत्पुरुष ('cloud-like'); द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण to nyagrodham

• nyagrodham: banyan tree
• nyagrodham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyagrodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ṛṣibhiḥ: by sages
• ṛṣibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• vṛtam: surrounded/covered
• vṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛ (धातु) + vṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण to nyagrodham

• samantāt: all around
• samantāt: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from all sides'/'all around')

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• tāḥ: those
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• śākhāḥ: branches
• śākhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• śata-yojanam: a hundred yojanas (in extent)
• śata-yojanam: Parimāṇa (परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numeral compound: 'hundred-yojana'); द्वितीया (measure as extent), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• āyatāḥ: extended/spread
• āyatāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yam (धातु) + āyata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (ppp), प्रथमा, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; विशेषण to śākhāḥ

Context

He saw a banyan tree with its branches spread on all sides measuring a hundredyojanas, looking like a cloud and providing shelter to the sages.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• nyagrodha (banyan)
• ṛṣi (sages)

FAQs

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

Sages gathered under a vast tree evokes dharma as refuge and order: tapas and righteous living create ‘shelter’ for the world, symbolized by the expansive banyan canopy.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa encounters a remarkable banyan tree associated with sages, marking a spiritually charged landmark on his route.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The sages’ virtue: ascetic discipline and sanctity (tapas, śama), implied by their presence and the sacred atmosphere.