Shloka 1

अष्टत्रिंशः सर्गः — मारीचोपदेशः

Maricha’s Warning and the Memory of Rama’s Power

Devanagari script

कदाचिदप्यहं वीर्यात्पर्यटन्पृथिवीमिमाम्।बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयन्पर्वतोपमः।।3.38.1।।नीलजीमूतसङ्काशस्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः।भयं लोकस्य जनयन्किरीटी परिघायुधः।।3.38.2।।व्यचरं दण्डकारण्ये ऋषिमांसानि भक्षयन्।

Transliteration

kadācid api ahaṁ vīryāt paryaṭan pṛthivīm imām |

balaṁ nāga-sahasrasya dhārayan parvatopamaḥ || 3.38.1 ||

nīla-jīmūta-saṅkāśas tapta-kāñcana-kuṇḍalaḥ |

bhayaṁ lokasya janayan kirīṭī parighāyudhaḥ || 3.38.2 ||

Translation

ครั้งหนึ่ง ด้วยอำนาจกำลังอันหยาบกร้านของตน ข้าพเจ้าเที่ยวพเนจรไปทั่วแผ่นดินนี้—ดุจภูผา แบกพลังดั่งช้างนับพัน. กายดำดั่งเมฆฝน สวมต่างหูทองสุกปลั่ง ทรงมงกุฎ ถือกระบองเป็นอาวุธ ข้าพเจ้าก่อให้เกิดความหวาดกลัวแก่ผู้คนทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• kadācit: at some time/once
• kadācit: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; लिङ्ग-निरपेक्ष (pronoun)

• vīryāt: from/through prowess
• vīryāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन (ablative singular)

• paryaṭan: wandering
• paryaṭan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paryaṭ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while wandering)

• pṛthivīm: the earth
• pṛthivīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; पृथिवीम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• balam: strength
• balam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• nāga-sahasrasya: of a thousand elephants
• nāga-sahasrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'नागानां सहस्रम्'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• dhārayan: bearing/possessing
• dhārayan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while bearing)

• parvata-upamaḥ: like a mountain
• parvata-upamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (उपमान-सम्बन्ध): 'पर्वतस्य उपमः/सदृशः'; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nīla-jīmūta-saṅkāśaḥ: resembling a dark cloud
• nīla-jīmūta-saṅkāśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + jīmūta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (उपमान/सादृश्य): 'नील-जिमूत-सदृशः'; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tapta-kāñcana-kuṇḍalaḥ: wearing heated/bright gold earrings
• tapta-kāñcana-kuṇḍalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'तप्त-काञ्चनस्य कुण्डले यस्य' (golden earrings); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• lokasya: of the people/world
• lokasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• janayan: creating
• janayan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (causing/creating)

• kirīṭī: crowned
• kirīṭī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kirīṭin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'किरīṭ' धारणवान् (crowned)

• parigha-āyudhaḥ: armed with a club/iron bar
• parigha-āyudhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parigha (प्रातिपदिक) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'परिघः आयुधं यस्य' (having a club/iron-bar as weapon); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vyacaram: I roamed/moved about
• vyacaram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग: वि- (vy-)

• daṇḍakāraṇye: in the Dandaka forest
• daṇḍakāraṇye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍaka-araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (नामधेय-सम्बन्ध): 'दण्डकानां अरण्यम्'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ṛṣi-māṃsāni: flesh of sages
• ṛṣi-māṃsāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'ऋषीणां मांसानि'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• bhakṣayan: eating
• bhakṣayan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while eating)

Context

Once I was roaming the earth, like a mountain possessing the strength of a thousand elephants, like a dark cloud, wearing bright gold ear-rings and crown,holding a spear in hand, terrorising the people. I was wandering in Dandaka forest feeding on the flesh of ascetics.

Characters & Entities

• Mārīca
• pṛthivī (earth)

FAQs

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

Power without restraint becomes adharma: the verse frames fear-making and prideful strength as a moral warning, preparing the contrast with righteous heroism later.

What is the narrative situation?

Mārīca describes his former life as a terrifying wanderer, emphasizing his might and the fear he inspired.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast (through negative portrayal), the virtue highlighted is self-control: true strength in the Ramayana is strength governed by dharma, not intimidation.