Shloka 24

मारीचाश्रमगमनम्

Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

शङ्खानां प्रसरं चैव प्रवालनिचयं तथा।काञ्चनानि च शैलानि राजतानि च सर्वशः।।।।

Transliteration

śaṅkhānāṁ prasaraṁ caiva pravālanicayaṁ tathā |

kāñcanāni ca śailāni rājatāni ca sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

शङ्खानां प्रसरं चैव प्रवालनिचयं तथा। काञ्चनानि च शैलानि राजतानि च सर्वशः ददर्श॥

Word by Word

• śaṅkhānām: of conches
• śaṅkhānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• prasaram: expanse/spread
• prasaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/also
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• pravāla-nicayam: a heap/collection of corals
• pravāla-nicayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pravāla (प्रातिपदिक) + nicaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'heap of corals'); द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• tathā: likewise/and so
• tathā: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• kāñcanāni: gold (masses/things of gold)
• kāñcanāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• śailāni: rocks/mounds
• śailāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• rājatāni: silver (masses/things of silver)
• rājatāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• sarvaśaḥ: everywhere/all around
• sarvaśaḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvaśaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'in every way/throughout')

Context

He saw stretches of conches, heaps of corals and mounds of gold and silver too.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• śaṅkha (conch)
• pravāla (coral)
• kāñcana (gold)
• rājata (silver)

FAQs

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

By presenting immense natural and material wealth, the narrative sets up a dharmic warning: riches are pervasive, but righteousness depends on non-attachment and lawful conduct, not acquisition through adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

The travel description continues, emphasizing the extraordinary abundance of the region Rāvaṇa passes through.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse points less to a virtue and more to a moral pressure-point in the epic: greed and possessiveness versus self-restraint.