Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 122, Shloka 17

दशरथदर्शनम् — Dasharatha’s Epiphany and Benedictions

Sarga 122

Devanagari script

तारितोऽहंत्वयापुत्र सुपुत्रेणमहात्मना ।अष्टावक्रेणधर्मात्माकहोलोब्राह्मणोयथा ।।।।

Transliteration

tārito 'haṃ tvayā putra suputreṇa mahātmanā | aṣṭāvakreṇa dharmātmā kaholo brāhmaṇo yathā ||

Translation

மகனே! உன்னைப் போன்ற உயர்ந்த, மகாத்மையான சுதந்தை மகனால் நான் மீட்கப்பட்டேன்—தர்மாத்மையான பிராமணன் கஹோலன் அஷ்டாவக்ரனால் மீட்கப்பட்டதுபோல.

Word by Word

• tāritaḥ: saved, delivered
• tāritaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate of 'I')
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṝ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), √तॄ (to cross/save); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate with aham

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (करण/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• suputreṇa: by a good son
• suputreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु-पुत्रः = good son); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; apposition to tvayā

• mahātmanā: by the great-souled one
• mahātmanā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् आत्मा यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण/apposition to tvayā

• aṣṭāvakreṇa: by Aṣṭāvakra
• aṣṭāvakreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa + vakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (अष्टौ वक्राणि यस्य = having eight bends; proper name Aṣṭāvakra); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• dharmātmā: the righteous one
• dharmātmā: Visheshya (विशेष्य/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (धर्मः आत्मा यस्य = righteous-souled); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण/apposition to kaholaḥ

• kaholaḥ: Kahola
• kaholaḥ: Upameya (उपमेय/thing compared)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kahola (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• brāhmaṇaḥ: the brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Upameya (उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to kaholaḥ

• yathā: as, like
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative/"as")

Context

"Son! I am liberated by you today, my great son, just as Kahola who was set on righteousness was liberated by Ashtavakra."

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma is portrayed as spiritually efficacious: a righteous son’s conduct can ‘deliver’ elders from suffering and moral burden.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha blesses Rāma and uses a well-known dharma-legend (Aṣṭāvakra–Kahola) to express deliverance and gratitude.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s greatness of soul (mahātmatā) and filial righteousness—his dharmic life becomes salvific for his father.