Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.25: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 25

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम् · The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Addressed to BrahmaSetting: Earth and its excavated regions (surface to lower realms) during the search for the Aśvamedha horsePlaces named: (implied) sacrificial arena vicinity, Pṛthivī (earth)Search/pursuit segment of the stolen horse

Devanagari script

अयं यज्ञहरोऽस्माकमनेनाश्वोऽपनीयते ।

इति ते सर्वभूतानि निघ्नन्ति सगरात्मजाः ॥२५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.25

Transliteration

ayaṁ yajñaharo 'smākam anenāśvo 'panīyate |

iti te sarvabhūtāni nighnanti sagarātmajāḥ ||25||

Translation

To jest ten, który niszczy naszą jadźnię; przez niego nasz koń został uprowadzony! - tak myśląc, synowie Sagary zabijają wszystkie żyjące istoty.

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Word by Word

• अयम्: this (man)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• यज्ञहरः: the sacrifice-stealer
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘यज्ञस्य हरः’ = stealer/destroyer of the sacrifice
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of us/our’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• अनेन: by him
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; ‘by him/with this’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• अश्वः: the horse
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• अपनीयते: is being carried off/stolen
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• इति: thus (saying)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति निपात (quotative particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)

• ते: they
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• सर्वभूतानि: all beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सर्वाणि भूतानि’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• निघ्नन्ति: they strike down/kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• सगरात्मजाः: Sagara’s sons
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगर + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• यज्ञहरोऽस्माकम् = यज्ञहरः + अस्माकम्
• अनेनाश्वोऽपनीयते = अनेन + अश्वः + अपनीयते (विसर्ग-सन्धि)

Context

'This one is the destroyer of our sacrifice. He has stolen away our horse' saying so the sons of Sagara are slaying all living beings".ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē bālakāṇḍē ēkōnacatvāriṅśassarga: ৷৷Thus ends the thirtyninth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

The teaching

Righteous causes do not sanctify wrongful means; certainty without investigation becomes cruelty.

Duties in tension

• Defense of yajña and royal honor
• Protection of innocents (sarvabhūta-hita)
• Truth-seeking before punishment

Ethical theme

Nyāya (justice) vs krodha (anger)

How it resolves

Later-retributive (their violence leads to their downfall)

For your practice

Practice of kṣamā (forbearance) and viveka; pause before acting on accusation.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Bibhatsa (disgust)

Mood

Blind rage, indiscriminate, grim

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya vs suspicion
• Ethics
• Consequences of false accusation

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sagara’s sons
• Sacrifice (yajña)
• Sacrificial horse (aśva)
• All beings (sarvabhūtāni)

FAQs

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

Dharma demands truth and restraint: acting on suspicion and anger—without certainty—leads to adharma, especially when it results in harm to the innocent.

What is the narrative situation?

The petitioners report the sons of Sagara’s rationale: believing someone stole the sacrificial horse, they indiscriminately kill beings during the search.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse highlights the absence of discernment (viveka); it implicitly upholds the virtue of careful judgment before punishment.