Shloka 10

काकुत्स्थस्य शोकनिग्रहः—सुग्रीवसान्त्वनम्

Rama’s Grief Restrained—Sugriva’s Consolation

Devanagari script

बालिशस्तु नरो नित्यं वैक्लब्यं योऽनुवर्तते।स मज्जत्यवशश्शोके भाराक्रान्तेव नौर्जले।।

Transliteration

bāliśas tu naro nityaṃ vaiklabyaṃ yo 'nuvartate | sa majjaty avaśaḥ śoke bhārākrānteva naur jale || 4.7.10 ||

Translation

यो नरः बालिशो नित्यं वैक्लब्यमनुवर्तते । स शोकवशमापन्नो भाराक्रान्तेव नौर्जले मज्जति ॥

Word by Word

• bāliśaḥ: foolish
• bāliśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative: always)

• vaiklabyam: despondency
• vaiklabyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiklabya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• anuvartate: follows / yields to
• anuvartate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्; उपसर्गः अनु-; अर्थः 'follows/gives in to'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• majjati: sinks
• majjati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: majj (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; अर्थः 'sinks'

• avaśaḥ: helpless
• avaśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'helpless/out of control'

• śoke: in grief
• śoke: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• bhārākrāntā: overburdened
• bhārākrāntā: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāra + ākrānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) 'overwhelmed by burden'

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle: like/as)

• nauḥ: boat
• nauḥ: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nau (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• jale: in water
• jale: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Context

A man who is unwise and distraught only gets sunk in grief like a heavily loaded boat (sinks) in water.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sugrīva

FAQs

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

Dharma requires self-mastery: surrendering to despair destroys one’s capacity to act rightly and effectively.

What is the narrative situation?

Sugrīva counsels the grieving Rāma, warning that habitual despondency leads only to deeper ruin.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dhairya (steadiness) and ātmā-nigraha (control over the mind).