Shloka 8

अभिज्ञानवृत्तान्त-प्रत्यायनम्

Token of Recognition and the Crow–Brahmāstra Episode

Devanagari script

नखाग्रैः केन ते भीरु दारितं तु स्तनान्तरम्।कः क्रीडति सरोषेण पञ्चवक्त्रेण भोगिना।।।।

Transliteration

nakhāgraiḥ kena te bhīru dāritaṃ tu stanāntaram | kaḥ krīḍati saroṣeṇa pañcavaktreṇa bhoginā ||

Translation

नखाग्रैः केन ते भीरु दारितं स्तनान्तरम्? कः सरोषेण पञ्चवक्त्रेण भोगिना सह क्रीडितुमर्हति?

Word by Word

• nakhāgraiḥ: with nail-tips
• nakhāgraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakha (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), तृतीया (Instr), बहुवचन (pl); तत्पुरुषः—‘नखानाम् अग्राणि’

• kena: by whom
• kena: Kartr/Hetu (कर्ता/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (masc/neut), तृतीया (Instr), एकवचन (sg); interrogative

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen/Dat), एकवचन (sg)

• bhīru: O timid one
• bhīru: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), सम्बोधन (Voc), एकवचन (sg)

• dāritam: torn; scratched
• dāritam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (sg); agrees with stanāntaram

• tu: indeed; then
• tu: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• stanāntaram: the space between the breasts
• stanāntaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stana (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (sg); तत्पुरुषः—‘स्तनयोः अन्तरम्’

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nom), एकवचन (sg); interrogative

• krīḍati: plays; sports
• krīḍati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg), परस्मैपद

• saroṣeṇa: with rage
• saroṣeṇa: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग-सदृश) + roṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), तृतीया (Instr), एकवचन (sg); adverbial instr. ‘with anger’

• pañcavaktreṇa: with the five-mouthed (one)
• pañcavaktreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), तृतीया (Instr), एकवचन (sg); द्विगुः—‘पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य’ (five-mouthed/hooded)

• bhoginā: with the serpent
• bhoginā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), तृतीया (Instr), एकवचन (sg)

Context

"You are of timid nature. Who has scratched your breasts with the tip of the nail? Who is sporting with an enraged five-hooded serpent"?

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• serpent (bhogin)

FAQs

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

Dharma here highlights protective concern for the vulnerable: seeing signs of harm, one must inquire and seek justice rather than ignore suffering.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān notices marks of injury on Sītā and questions who could have harmed her, using a metaphor of an enraged many-hooded serpent to convey the danger of such an act.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hanumān’s compassion and righteous indignation—an alertness to adharma and readiness to defend the afflicted.