Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.7: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 7

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम् · The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Setting: Sagara’s Aśvamedha sacrificial ground (yajña-śālā/vedi area)Places named: (implied) yajña-vedi, parvan-day (ritual time marker)

Devanagari script

तस्य पर्वणि तं यज्ञं यजमानस्य वासवः ।

राक्षसीं तनुमास्थाय यज्ञीयाश्वमपाहरत् ॥७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.7

Transliteration

tasya parvaṇi taṃ yajñaṃ yajamānasya vāsavaḥ |

rākṣasīṃ tanum āsthāya yajñīyāśvam apāharat ||7||

Translation

ในวันปัรวันอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ซึ่งเป็นวาระปิดพิธี ขณะสคระเป็นยชามานประกอบยัญญ์ วาสวะ (อินทรา) แปลงกายเป็นดุจรากษส แล้วลักเอาม้ายัญญ์ไป

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Word by Word

• तस्य: of him (Sagara)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (pronoun)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)

• पर्वणि: on the parvan day (concluding day)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)

• तम्: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine; referring to yajña as masculine here by usage)
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Direct object)

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Direct object; contextual)

• यजमानस्य: of the sacrificer
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)

• वासवः: Vasava (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)

• राक्षसीम्: demonic (rakshasa-like)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) to तनुम्
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Object-complement with tanum)

• तनुम्: a body/form
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Object of āsthāya)

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), meaning 'having assumed/taken'
• Role: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial prior action)

• यज्ञीय-अश्वम्: the sacrificial horse
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञीय (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): 'यज्ञीयः अश्वः'; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Direct object)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• अपाहरत्: stole/abducted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया/Main verb)

Sandhi Notes

• यज्ञीयाश्वमपाहरत् = यज्ञीय-अश्वम् + अपाहरत्
• तनुमास्थाय = तनुम् + आस्थाय
• वासवः।राक्षसीम् = वासवः + राक्षसीम् (sentence break)

Context

On the concluding day of the fortnight (full moon day) while the sacrifice was being performed, Vasava (Indra) assuming the form of rakshasa, had stolen away Sagara's sacrificial horse.

The teaching

Even sacred enterprises face tests; discernment and restraint are required when the adversary uses disguise and provocation.

Duties in tension

• Maintenance of śrauta yajña and royal dharma
• Deva politics/jealousy disrupting human rites
• Response to theft without harming innocents

Ethical theme

Ṛta/yajña-protection vs deva-induced adversity

How it resolves

Escalatory (the theft triggers pursuit and later tragedy)

For your practice

Reflection on impermanence of external rites without inner steadiness; cultivate steadiness amid disruption.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Uncanny, stealthy, ominous

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Yajña
• Deception
• Royal duty

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Vāsava (Indra)
• Sagara
• yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the sanctity of yajña and the moral disorder created when sacred duties are obstructed through deceit. Dharma here is the protection of rightful ritual action and social order against adharma (wrongful interference).

What is the narrative situation?

During King Sagara’s Aśvamedha at a crucial concluding parvan moment, Indra disguises himself in a rākṣasa-like form and steals the sacrificial horse, threatening the completion of the rite.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, the virtue expected is steadfast responsibility in protecting dharmic acts—especially a king’s duty to safeguard sacred rites and public order when they are endangered.