Valmiki Ramayana 2.97.25: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 25

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Devanagari script

स एष सुमहाकायः कम्पते वाहिनीमुखे।नागश्शत्रुञ्जयो नाम वृद्धस्तातस्य धीमतः।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.97.25

Transliteration

sa eṣa sumahākāyaḥ kampate vāhinīmukhe | nāgaḥ śatruñjayo nāma vृद्धas tātasya dhīmataḥ ||

Translation

Вон там, в самом начале рати, движется тот огромный слон — старый, по имени Шатрунджая, принадлежащий нашему мудрому отцу.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• एषः: this (here)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• सुमहाकायः: very huge-bodied
• सुमहाकायः: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + महा + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• कम्पते: trembles/moves
• कम्पते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वाहिनीमुखे: at the front of the army
• वाहिनीमुखे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाहिन्याः मुखम्)

• नागः: elephant
• नागः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शत्रुञ्जयः: (one) named ‘Conqueror of enemies’
• शत्रुञ्जयः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शत्रूणां जयः)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Name-marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (particle meaning ‘by name’)

• वृद्धः: aged/old
• वृद्धः: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तातस्य: of the father
• तातस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• धीमतः: of the wise/sagacious
• धीमतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘father’)

Context

There is that huge and aged elephant named Satrunjaya which belogns to our sagacious father proceeding at the head of the army.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Śatruñjaya (elephant)
• Army (vāhinī)

FAQs

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

Dharma of truthful reporting: Lakṣmaṇa identifies concrete signs (the king’s elephant) to ground decisions in reliable evidence.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa recognizes a distinctive royal elephant at the head of the approaching force, linking it to Daśaratha.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical intelligence and loyalty—he knows the royal insignia and communicates it to Rāma.