Shloka 10

वर्षावर्णनम्

The Monsoon Description and Rama’s Counsel on Timing

Devanagari script

मेघकृष्णाजिनधरा: धारायज्ञोपवीतिनः।मारुतापूरितगुहाः प्राधीता इव पर्वताः।।

Transliteration

meghakṛṣṇājinadharā dhārāyajñopavītinaḥ |

mārutāpūritaguhāḥ prādhītā iva parvatāḥ || 4.28.10 ||

Translation

ภูเขาทั้งหลายดุจสวมหนังสีดำแห่งเมฆา มีสายฝนห้อยระย้าเสมือนยัชโญปวีตะ (สายศักดิ์สิทธิ์) และมีถ้ำที่ลมพัดอัดแน่น จึงแลดูประหนึ่งพราหมณ์ผู้สาธยายพระเวทกำลังเพียรศึกษา

Word by Word

• मेघ-कृष्ण-अजिन-धराः: wearing cloud-dark antelope-skins (i.e., dark like them)
• मेघ-कृष्ण-अजिन-धराः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अजिन (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (मेघवत् कृष्णम् अजिनम् धारयन्ति ये ते)

• धारा-यज्ञोपवीतिनः: having streams as sacred threads
• धारा-यज्ञोपवीतिनः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारा (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञोपवीतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (धाराः एव यज्ञोपवीतानि इव येषां ते)

• मारुत-आपूरित-गुहाः: whose caves are filled with wind
• मारुत-आपूरित-गुहाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक) + आपूरित (कृदन्त; आ-√पूर्) + गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कृदन्त-क्त ‘आपूरित’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मारुतेन आपूरिताः गुहाः येषां ते)

• प्राधीताः: well-recited (as if)
• प्राधीताः: Upamāna-sādharmya (उपमान-साधर्म्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आ-√धी (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कृदन्त-क्त (PPP) ‘प्राधीत’ = well-recited/learned (as if chanting)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय

• पर्वताः: mountains
• पर्वताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Context

'The sky lashed with lightnings with whips of gold and emitting groans in the form of peals of thunder, appears as though crying in severe pain.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Veda (implied by prādhīta)

FAQs

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

Dharma is linked with tapas and study: the natural world is read as a mirror of disciplined life, reminding the listener that endurance and self-restraint support righteous aims.

What is the narrative situation?

During the monsoon setting, Rāma describes the mountains with vivid metaphors while speaking to Lakṣmaṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Contemplative insight—seeing spiritual meaning in the world, sustaining moral focus amid adversity.