Shloka 18

स्वयम्प्रभा-विमोचनम् — Svayamprabha Leads the Vanaras Out

Time-Limit Crisis and Counsel

Devanagari script

ते वसन्तमनुप्राप्तं प्रतिबुद्ध्वा परस्परम्।नष्टसन्देशकालार्था निपेतुर्धरणीतले।।।।

Transliteration

te vasantam anuprāptaṃ pratibuddhvā parasparam |

naṣṭasandeśakālārthā nipetur dharaṇītale ||

Translation

వసంతం వచ్చిందని వారు పరస్పరం గ్రహించారు; అలాగే నివేదించవలసిన నియతకాలమూ దాటిపోయిందని తెలిసి, దుఃఖంతో భూమిపై పడిపోయారు।

Word by Word

तेthey

वसन्तम्spring

अनुप्राप्तम्having arrived/come upon

प्रतिबुद्ध्वाhaving realized/awakened to

परस्परम्mutually, to one another

नष्टसन्देशकालार्थाःthose whose message/time/purpose was lost (i.e., who missed the deadline)

निपेतुःfell down

धरणीतलेon the ground

Context

Having realised (looking at the flowers) that spring has set in and they have exceeded the time limit, they all fell down on the ground.

Characters & Entities

Vānaras

Vasanta (spring)

Sugrīva (implied deadline for report/message)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes remorse and recognition of failure: admitting a lapse is ethically superior to denial, and it prepares one for corrective action.

What is the narrative situation?

The vānaras conclude that the season has changed and thus the mission’s time limit has been exceeded; despair overwhelms them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness to circumstances (satya-buddhi)—they accept the fact of delay, even though it is painful.