Shloka 18

रम्भा

प्रलोभनम् — Rambhā’s Temptation and Viśvāmitra’s Curse

Devanagari script

अथवा नोच्छवसिष्यामि संवत्सरशतान्यपि।अहं विशोषयिष्यामि ह्यात्मानं विजितेन्द्रिय:।।1.64.18।।

Transliteration

athavā nocchavasiṣyāmi saṃvatsaraśatāny api | ahaṃ viśoṣayiṣyāmi hy ātmānaṃ vijitendriyaḥ || 1.64.18 ||

Translation

“ਨਹੀਂ ਤਾਂ ਸੈਂਕੜੇ ਵਰ੍ਹਿਆਂ ਤੱਕ ਮੈਂ ਸਾਹ ਵੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਲਵਾਂਗਾ; ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤ ਕੇ ਤਪੱਸਿਆ ਨਾਲ ਇਸ ਦੇਹ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਕਾ ਦਿਆਂਗਾ।”

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: सम्बन्ध (Discourse/Option)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय; disjunctive particle

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

• उच्छवसिष्यामि: I shall breathe
• उच्छवसिष्यामि: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘I shall breathe out/breathe’

• संवत्सर-शतानि: hundreds of years
• संवत्सर-शतानि: कालाधिकरण (Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Time-extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; numeral compound (द्विगु): शतानि संवत्सराणि; Accusative plural (duration)

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय; ‘even/also’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, nominative singular

• विशोषयिष्यामि: I shall emaciate
• विशोषयिष्यामि: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+शुष् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) + लृट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘I shall cause to dry/emaciate’

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; emphasis/causal particle

• आत्मानम्: myself/body
• आत्मानम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• विजितेन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses
• विजितेन्द्रियः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; compound: विजितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः) but form is तत्पुरुष-समास ‘vijita-indriya’; Nominative singular qualifying अहम्

Context

"Further, I shall not even inhale for hundreds of years. I shall conquer my senses and dry up this body.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma is pursued through disciplined practice: sense-control and austerity are presented as tools to restore integrity after moral lapse.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra intensifies his resolve, proposing extreme breath-restraint and bodily austerity to regain mastery and spiritual strength.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Austerity joined with determination—commitment to inner conquest rather than outward retaliation.