Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 2, Shloka 40

द्वितीयः सर्गः — श्लोकप्रादुर्भावः

The Manifestation of the Śloka

Devanagari script

समाक्षरैश्चतुर्भिर्य: पादैर्गीतो महर्षिणा ।

सोऽनुव्याहरणाद्भूयश्श्लोकश्श्लोकत्वमागत: ।।1.2.40।।

Transliteration

samākṣaraiś caturbhir yaḥ pādair gīto maharṣiṇā |

so ’nuvyāharaṇād bhūyaḥ ślokaḥ ślokatvam āgataḥ ||1.2.40||

Translation

ถ้อยคำที่มหาฤษีขับร้องเป็นสี่บาท ด้วยอักษรเสมอกัน ครั้นสาธยายซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า ก็ได้ตั้งมั่นในโลกเป็น ‘ศโลก’ อีกครั้งหนึ่ง

Word by Word

• samākṣaraiḥ: with equal syllables
• samākṣaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samākṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsakaliṅga (contextual), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana (plural); विशेषण—‘pādaiḥ’ इत्यस्य

• caturbhiḥ: by four
• caturbhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma-saṃjñā/saṅkhyā-śabda; Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; विशेषण—‘pādaiḥ’

• yaḥ: which/that (who/which)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / viśeṣya (relative-correlative linkage)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• pādaiḥ: with quarters/lines (of a verse)
• pādaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana

• gītaḥ: sung/uttered
• gītaḥ: Karma (कर्म) as patient of passive
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (गै) + kta (क्त) → gīta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः—‘(maharṣiṇā) gītaḥ’ = ‘was sung/uttered’

• maharṣiṇā: by the great sage
• maharṣiṇā: Karta (कर्ता) (agent in passive; कर्तृकरणयोस्तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana; कर्तृ-कारकः कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (agent in passive)

• saḥ: that (he/it)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / viśeṣya (correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; correlative to ‘yaḥ’

• anuvyāharaṇāt: from/because of repeated recitation
• anuvyāharaṇāt: Hetu (हेतु) / Nimitta (निमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anu-vy-ā-haraṇa (प्रातिपदिक; action-noun from √hṛ (हृ) with prefixes)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Pañcamī vibhakti (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; हेतौ पञ्चमी (ablative of cause)

• bhūyaḥ: again/further
• bhūyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (adverb)

• ślokaḥ: the śloka/verse
• ślokaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of ‘āgataḥ’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• ślokatvam: the state of being a śloka (verse-form)
• ślokatvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ślokatva (प्रातिपदिक; -tva abstract noun)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; प्राप्य-भावः (state attained)

• āgataḥ: attained/has become
• āgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) + ā + kta (क्त) → āgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kta-participle used predicatively; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; अर्थः—‘attained/has come to’

Context

This sloka of four lines, each consisting of equal number of syllables, was recited by the maharshi. Constant recitation (by others) elicited admiration (from the listeners).

Characters & Entities

• maharṣi (Vālmīki)
• śloka

FAQs

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

Dharma is served by making truth memorable and transmissible. A stable poetic form allows ethical teaching and history to be preserved accurately across generations.

What is the narrative situation?

The text explains how Vālmīki’s metrically balanced utterance, through repetition by others, becomes recognized as the formal śloka form.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Creative orderliness and clarity: the seer’s disciplined expression (equal syllables, four quarters) turns emotion and insight into teachable literature.