Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 27, Shloka 4

अस्त्रप्रदानम्

Bestowal of Divine Astras to Rama

Devanagari script

दण्डचक्रं महद्दिव्यं तव दास्यामि राघव।।।।धर्मचक्रं ततो वीर कालचक्रं तथैव च।विष्णुचक्रं तथात्युग्रमैन्द्रमस्त्रं तथैव च।।।।वज्रमस्त्रं नरश्रेष्ठ शैवं शूलवरं तथा।अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरश्चैव ऐषीकमपि राघव।।।।ददामि ते महाबाहो ब्राह्ममस्त्रमनुत्तमम्।

Transliteration

daṇḍacakraṃ mahad divyaṃ tava dāsyāmi rāghava |

dharmacakraṃ tato vīra kālacakraṃ tathaiva ca |

viṣṇucakraṃ tathātyugram aindram astraṃ tathaiva ca |

vajram astraṃ naraśreṣṭha śaivaṃ śūlavaraṃ tathā |

astraṃ brahmaśiraś caiva aiṣīkam api rāghava |

dadāmi te mahābāho brāhmam astram anuttamam ||

Translation

โอ้ราฆวะ เราจักมอบ “จักรทัณฑะ” อันยิ่งใหญ่และเป็นทิพย์แก่เจ้า แล้วต่อมา โอ้วีรบุรุษ เรามอบ “จักรธรรม” “จักรกาล” และ “จักรวิษณุ” อันดุเดือดยิ่ง—พร้อมทั้งอัสตราของพระอินทร์ด้วย โอ้ยอดแห่งมนุษย์ เรายังมอบอาวุธวัชระ ตรีศูลอันประเสริฐของพระศิวะ อัสตราพรหมศิรัส และอัสตราไอษีกะ แก่เจ้า โอ้ผู้มีพาหาอันเกรียงไกร เรายังมอบ “พรหมอัสตรา” อันหาที่เปรียบมิได้แก่เจ้าด้วย

Word by Word

• daṇḍacakram: the staff-disc (Daṇḍacakra)
• daṇḍacakram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa + cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: daṇḍasya cakram), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with daṇḍacakram

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with daṇḍacakram

• tava: for you/of you
• tava: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• dāsyāmi: I shall give
• dāsyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: lṛṭ-lakāra (भविष्यत्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• rāghava: O Rāghava
• rāghava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• dharmacakram: Dharma-disc
• dharmacakram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• vīra: O hero
• vīra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• kālacakram: Time-disc
• kālacakram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla + cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa, Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tathā: thus/also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb/particle

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle (निपात)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• viṣṇucakram: Viṣṇu-disc
• viṣṇucakram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu + cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa, Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle

• atyugram: exceedingly fierce
• atyugram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati + ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with (aindram) astram

• aindram: of Indra
• aindram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक) > aindra (तद्धित)
• Form: Taddhita adjective (ऐन्द्र = Indra-related), Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with astram

• astram: weapon
• astram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• vajram: Vajra (thunderbolt)
• vajram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; used appositionally with astram

• astram: weapon
• astram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• naraśreṣṭha: O best of men
• naraśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: narāṇāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ), Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• śaivam: Śiva-related
• śaivam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) > śaiva (तद्धित)
• Form: Taddhita adjective, Neuter, Accusative, Singular; (astraṃ) understood

• śūlavaram: excellent spear/trident
• śūlavaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (varaṃ śūlam), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle

• astram: weapon
• astram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• brahmaśiraḥ: Brahma-head (Brahmaśiras weapon)
• brahmaśiraḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: brahmaṇaḥ śiraḥ), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle

• aiṣīkam: Aiṣīka weapon
• aiṣīkam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣīkā (प्रातिपदिक) > aiṣīka (तद्धित)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle

• rāghava: O Rāghava
• rāghava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• dadāmi: I give
• dadāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: laṭ-lakāra, 1st person, Singular

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative, Singular

• mahābāho: O mighty-armed one
• mahābāho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (mahān bāhuḥ yasya), used as vocative address; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• brāhmam: Brahmā-related
• brāhmam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) > brāhma (तद्धित)
• Form: Taddhita adjective, Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with astram

• astram: weapon
• astram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• anuttamam: unsurpassed
• anuttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with astram

Context

Mighty armed, heroic Rama! I shall grant you the great celestial dandachakra. O best among men! I shall grant you dharmachakra, kalachakra, visnuchakra, indraastra, vajraastra and the great, trident of Siva, brahmashirastra, ishika astra and highly superior brahmaastra.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Viśvāmitra
• Śiva
• Śūla (trident)
• Brāhmāstra

FAQs

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

Dharma is framed as disciplined power: sacred knowledge and weapons are entrusted to a worthy person so that force is used for protection of righteousness (yajña-rakṣā) and restraint, not for personal aggression.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra begins formally granting Rāma a series of divine astras and cakras, preparing him to protect the sage’s sacrifice from hostile forces.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s pātratā (worthiness) and self-control—he is treated as fit to receive formidable power because he can align strength with Dharma.