Valmiki Ramayana 5.1.11 — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 1, Shloka 11

समुद्रलङ्घनारम्भः

Commencement of the Ocean-Crossing

Devanagari script

निष्प्रमाणशरीरः सन् लिलङ्घयिषुरर्णवम्।बाहुभ्यां पीडयामास चरणाभ्यां च पर्वतम्।।।।

Transliteration

niṣpramāṇaśarīraḥ san lilaṅghayiṣur arṇavam | bāhubhyāṁ pīḍayāmāsa caraṇābhyāṁ ca parvatam ||

Translation

निष्प्रमाणशरीरः सन् अर्णवं लिलङ्घयिषुः स बाहुभ्यां चरणाभ्यां च पर्वतं पीडयामास।

Word by Word

• निष्प्रमाणशरीरः: having an immeasurable body
• निष्प्रमाणशरीरः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्-प्रमाण-शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसमासः (one whose body is of immeasurable size)

• सन्: being
• सन्: कर्तृ (Karta; participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'being/while being'

• लिलङ्घयिषुः: wishing to leap across
• लिलङ्घयिषुः: कर्तृ (Karta; qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: इच्छार्थक कृदन्तः; तुमुन्/इषु-प्रत्ययार्थ (desiderative agent: 'wishing to cross/leap'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अर्णवम्: ocean
• अर्णवम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• बाहुभ्याम्: with (his) two arms
• बाहुभ्याम्: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), द्विवचन; करण (instrument)

• पीडयामास: pressed
• पीडयामास: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• चरणाभ्याम्: with (his) two feet
• चरणाभ्याम्: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), द्विवचन; करण (instrument)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पर्वतम्: mountain
• पर्वतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

Context

Having swollen to an immeasurable figure, he pressed on the mountain with his feet and hands in an attempt to cross the ocean.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• arṇava (ocean)

FAQs

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

Purposeful strength: power is ethically meaningful when directed toward a righteous objective—here, the mission for Sītā and Rāma.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān enlarges his body and braces against the mountain as he prepares to leap across the ocean.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Udyama (energetic effort) guided by devotion and duty: disciplined preparation to accomplish a difficult task.