Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.2: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 2

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम् · The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Spoken by Rama to ViśvāmitraSetting: Viśvāmitra’s hermitage setting (narrative frame)

Devanagari script

श्रोतुमिच्छामि भद्रं ते विस्तरेण कथामिमाम् ।

पूर्वको मे कथं ब्रह्मन् यज्ञं वै समुपाहरत् ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.2

Transliteration

śrotum icchāmi bhadraṁ te vistareṇa kathām imām |

pūrvako me kathaṁ brahman yajñaṁ vai samupāharat ||2||

Translation

Благо тебе, о брахман. Я желаю услышать эту историю подробно: как, о почтенный, мой предок устроил и привёл в действие ягью?

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु) → śrotum (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थ
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)

• इच्छामि: I wish
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• भद्रम्: welfare, good fortune
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; आशीर्वादार्थक प्रयोग (benedictive object)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• ते: to you
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन (dative singular)
• Role: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; प्रकार/रीतिवाचक
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• कथाम्: story
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• इमाम्: this
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कथा-विशेषण
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• पूर्वकः: ancestor
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पूर्वक’ = पूर्वज (ancestor)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• मे: my
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ब्राह्मण/ऋषि-सम्बोधन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)
• Role: Nipāta (निपात)

• समुपाहरत्: arranged
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘arranged/brought together’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• श्रोतुम् + इच्छामि → श्रोतुमिच्छामि (म् + इ → मि)

Context

"O Brahman! I wish to listen in detail as to how my ancestors made preparations for the sacrifice? Prosperity to you"!.

The teaching

Seek dharma through detailed listening and respectful questioning; ancestral deeds are studied to understand duty and consequence.

Ethical theme

Vidyā-dharma (learning through inquiry)

For your practice

Supports svādhyāya: listening to sacred history with humility; cultivates the habit of asking for clarity rather than assuming.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Inquiring, respectful, attentive

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Satya
• Guru-śiṣya dialogue
• Inquiry and learning

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Viśvāmitra
• yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is the disciplined pursuit of knowledge through respectful inquiry—Rāma seeks truth (satya) by asking his teacher-figure to narrate the tradition accurately and in detail.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma requests Viśvāmitra to explain, in detail, the ancestral episode concerning the preparation of a major sacrifice (contextually, Sagara’s rite).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s humility and truth-seeking curiosity—he approaches the sage with courtesy and a genuine desire to understand the past.