Shloka 6

शुकसारण-चारप्रवेशः

Suka and Sāraṇa’s Espionage and Release

Devanagari script

भवन्तौवानरंसैन्यंप्रविश्यानुपलक्षितौ ।परिमाणंचवीर्यंचयेचमुख्याःप्लवङ्घमाः ।।6.25.4।।मन्त्रिणोयेचरामस्यसुग्रीवस्यचसम्मता: ।येपूर्वमभिवर्तन्तेयेचशूराःप्लवङ्गमाः ।।6.25.5।।सचसेतुर्यथाबद्धस्सागरेसलिलार्णवे ।निवेशंचयधातेषांवानराणांमहात्मनाम् ।।6.25.6।।रामस्यव्यवसायंचवीर्यंप्रहरणानिच ।लक्ष्मणस्यचवीर्यंतत्त्वतोज्ञातुमर्हथः ।।6.25.7।।

Transliteration

sa ca setur yathā baddhaḥ sāgare salilārṇave |

niveśaṃ ca yathā teṣāṃ vānarāṇāṃ mahātmanām ||6.25.6||

Translation

“จงสืบให้รู้ว่า สะพานนั้นผูกสร้างข้ามมหาสมุทรอันกว้างใหญ่แห่งสายน้ำได้อย่างไร และจงรู้ที่ตั้งค่ายกับการจัดกระบวนทัพของเหล่าวานรผู้มีจิตมหาเหล่านั้นด้วย”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• प्रतिसमादिष्टौ: having been ordered
• प्रतिसमादिष्टौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-sam-ā-diś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘having been instructed/ordered’

• राक्षसौ: two rakshasas
• राक्षसौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• शुकसारणौ: Suka and Sāraṇa
• शुकसारणौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuka (प्रातिपदिक) + sāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (copulative: two names); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• हरिरूपधरौ: wearing monkey forms
• हरिरूपधरौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘having monkey-form’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (of राक्षसौ)

• वीरौ: two heroes
• वीरौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; (appositional)

• प्रविष्टौ: entered
• प्रविष्टौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-viś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘entered’

• वानरम्: monkey
• वानरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of बलम्)

• बलम्: army
• बलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Context

"Both of you enter Vanara's army without their knowledge and know about the size of the army, of Rama and Sugriva's ministers, of army chiefs who are in the forefront, of the warriors, how they have built bridge in the middle of the sea, about the location of Vanaras and in the same way the efforts and valour of heroes Rama and Lakshmana, I ought to know truly."

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Śuka
• Sāraṇa
• Vānara army
• Setu (bridge to Laṅkā)
• Sāgara (the ocean)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights a ruler’s duty of prudent governance: before acting, one must seek accurate knowledge of conditions (here, the bridge and troop dispositions). Ethical statecraft in the epic is tied to truthful assessment (satya-based intelligence) rather than reckless impulse.

What is the narrative situation?

In Laṅkā, Rāvaṇa orders his agents Śuka and Sāraṇa to enter the Vānara camp unnoticed and report strategic details—especially how the sea-bridge was constructed and how the Vānaras are stationed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Strategic discernment and thoroughness in leadership—insisting on concrete, verifiable information about terrain, engineering (the setu), and troop placement before making decisions.