Shloka 28

शुनश्शेफरक्षा–विश्वामित्रशापः

Sunassepha’s Rescue and Visvamitra’s Curse

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रो ऽपि धर्मात्मा भूयस्तेपे महातपा:।पुष्करेषु नरश्रेष्ठ दशवर्षशतानि च।।।।

Transliteration

viśvāmitro 'pi dharmātmā bhūyas tepe mahātapāḥ | puṣkareṣu naraśreṣṭha daśavarṣaśatāni ca ||

Translation

Si Viśvāmitra rin—matuwid sa dharma at dakila sa pag-aayuno—ay muling nagsagawa ng tapas sa Puṣkara sa loob ng sampung daang taon, O pinakadakila sa mga tao.

Word by Word

• viśvāmitraḥ: Viśvāmitra
• viśvāmitraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• dharmātmā: righteous-souled
• dharmātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: dharma + ātmā; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of viśvāmitraḥ

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरर्थक (adverb: again/more)

• tepe: performed austerities
• tepe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (तप्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा पुरुष, एकवचन

• mahā-tapāḥ: great ascetic
• mahā-tapāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: mahā + tapas; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of viśvāmitraḥ

• puṣkareṣu: at Puṣkara (holy place)
• puṣkareṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; place-name in locative

• naraśreṣṭha: O best of men
• naraśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara-śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• daśa-varṣa-śatāni: hundreds of tens of years (i.e., many hundreds of years)
• daśa-varṣa-śatāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa-varṣa-śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical): daśa + varṣa + śata; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; duration as object of tepe

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

Context

O Best among men! the righteous and mighty ascetic Viswamitra also continued his austerities at Pushkara for a thousand years".ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē bālakāṇḍē dviṣaṣṭitamassarga:৷৷Thus ends the sixtysecond sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Puṣkara
• tapas (austerity)
• Rāma (naraśreṣṭha)

FAQs

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

Dharma is sustained by self-discipline: long tapas embodies commitment to inner purification and steadfast pursuit of truth and spiritual authority.

What is the narrative situation?

The episode closes by stating that Viśvāmitra resumes prolonged austerities at the sacred place Puṣkara.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Endurance and ascetic resolve (tapas), showing spiritual progress through persistent effort.