Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 22, Shloka 1

सागरप्रशमनम् / The Pacification of the Ocean and the Building of Nala’s Bridge

Devanagari script

अथोवाचरघुश्रेष्टस्सागरंदारुणंवचः ।अद्यत्वांशोषयिष्यामिसपाताळंमहार्णव: ।।।।

Transliteration

atho vāca raghuśreṣṭhaḥ sāgaraṃ dāruṇaṃ vacaḥ |

adya tvāṃ śoṣayiṣyāmi sapātāḷaṃ mahārṇavaḥ ||6.22.1||

Translation

अथोवाच रघुश्रेष्ठः सागरं दारुणं वचः । अद्य त्वां शोषयिष्यामि सपाताळं महार्णवः ॥

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; discourse particle 'then/now'

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• raghuśreṣṭhaḥ: best of the Raghus (Rama)
• raghuśreṣṭhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'raghoḥ śreṣṭhaḥ'

• sāgaram: to the ocean
• sāgaram: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• dāruṇam: terrible
• dāruṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying vacaḥ

• vacaḥ: words, speech
• vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• śoṣayiṣyāmi: I will dry up
• śoṣayiṣyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śuṣ (धातु)
• Form: Simple future (लृट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada; causative sense 'I will dry up' (णिच् implied)

• sapātāḷam: together with the netherworld
• sapātāḷam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa- (उपसर्ग/सह) + pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; 'together with Pātāla (netherworld)' qualifying tvām/sāgaram

• mahārṇavaḥ: the great ocean (as epithet/poetic apposition)
• mahārṇavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; apposition to raghuśreṣṭhaḥ (epithet)

Context

Thereafter, Rama uttered, "I shall make you dry up to the underworld", to the ocean that made his terrific presence.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Raghuśreṣṭha)
• Sāgara
• Pātāla

FAQs

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

Dharma includes the duty to remove unjust obstruction to a righteous mission. Rāma’s threat represents force invoked as last-resort enforcement of moral purpose when cooperation fails.

What is the narrative situation?

With no passage granted, Rāma addresses the ocean directly and declares he will compel it—setting in motion the ensuing cosmic upheaval.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Nyāya-yukta tejas (power tethered to justice): his formidable energy is directed toward restoring the conditions needed for a righteous end.