Shloka 23

तारोपदेशः — Tara’s Counsel to Lakshmana

Restraint, Time, and Mobilization

Devanagari script

तव हि मुखमिदं निरीक्ष्य कोपात्क्षतजनिभे नयने निरीक्षमाणाः।हरिवरवनिता न यान्ति शान्तिंप्रथमभयस्य हि शङ्कितास्तु सर्वाः।।।।

Transliteration

tava hi mukham idaṃ nirīkṣya kopāt kṣata-janibhe nayane nirīkṣamāṇāḥ | harivara-vanitā na yānti śāntiṃ prathama-bhayasya hi śaṅkitās tu sarvāḥ ||

Translation

కోపంతో మండుతున్న నీ ముఖాన్ని చూసి, రక్తవర్ణంలా ఎర్రబడిన నీ కళ్లను గమనిస్తూ, శ్రేష్ఠ వానరుల భార్యలు శాంతిని పొందలేకపోతున్నారు; అందరూ మునుపటి భయం మళ్లీ వస్తుందేమోనని సందేహంతో వణుకుతున్నారు।

Word by Word

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle

• mukham: face
• mukham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म/Object apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; apposition to mukham

• nirīkṣya: having seen
• nirīkṣya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/क्त्वा), prior action

• kopāt: from anger
• kopāt: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī, Ekavacana; ablative of cause

• kṣata-janibhe: in the blood-reddened (two)
• kṣata-janibhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣata (प्रातिपदिक) + jani-bha (प्रातिपदिक; 'blood-like/produced')
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī, Dvivacana; karmadhāraya; qualifies nayane

• nayane: in the eyes
• nayane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī, Dvivacana

• nirīkṣamāṇāḥ: looking (at)
• nirīkṣamāṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; agrees with harivaravanitāḥ

• hari-vara-vanitāḥ: wives of the foremost monkeys
• hari-vara-vanitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक) + vanitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: 'wives of the best monkeys'

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation

• yānti: go/attain
• yānti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana; parasmaipada

• śāntim: peace
• śāntim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• prathama-bhayasya: of the earlier fear
• prathama-bhayasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa (prathamasya bhayasya)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle

• śaṅkitāḥ: fearful/suspicious
• śaṅkitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkita (प्रातिपदिक; from √śaṅk)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) used adjectivally, Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; agrees with vanitāḥ

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; qualifies vanitāḥ

Context

'Looking at your angry countenance with blood-red eyes, the wives of the foremost of monkeys are frightened by the possibility of similar danger of the past (of Vali's death) and do not find peace of mind.'ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē kiṣkindhākāṇḍē pañcatriṅśassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the thirtyfifth sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Tārā
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Vāli (implied by 'earlier fear'—memory of Vāli’s death)

FAQs

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

Dharma here stresses restraint of anger: a leader’s visible wrath creates fear in innocents and destabilizes the community; self-control protects social peace.

What is the narrative situation?

Tārā addresses Lakṣmaṇa, urging him to temper his anger toward Sugrīva; the palace women are alarmed, recalling past violence (Vāli’s death) and fear renewed danger.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Tārā’s prudence and diplomatic compassion: she reads the emotional atmosphere and prioritizes calm, safety, and dharmic conduct over escalation.