Shloka 21

ऋक्षबिलप्रवेशः

Entry into the Rikshabilam Cave

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्मिन्बिले दुर्गे नानापादपसङ्कुले।।।।अन्योन्यं सम्परिष्वज्य जग्मुर्योजनमन्तरम्।

Transliteration

tatas tasmin bile durge nānāpādapasaṅkule |

anyonyaṁ sampariṣvajya jagmur yojanam antaram ||

Translation

پھر اُس دشوار گزار غار کے اندر، جو طرح طرح کے درختوں سے بھرا ہوا تھا، وہ ایک دوسرے کو مضبوطی سے تھام کر باہم لپٹتے ہوئے ایک یوجن اور آگے اندر چلے گئے۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (ततः अव्यय, from tad)
• Form: काल/अनन्तर-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन (agreeing with bile)

• bile: in the cave
• bile: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (बिल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• durge: difficult (to traverse)
• durge: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durga (दुर्ग प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (agreeing with bile); ‘hard to traverse’

• nānā-pādapa-saṅkule: crowded with many kinds of trees
• nānā-pādapa-saṅkule: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (नाना अव्यय) + pādapa (पादप) + saṅkula (सङ्कुल)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘crowded with various trees’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (agreeing with bile)

• anyonyaṃ: one another
• anyonyaṃ: Karma (कर्म/reciprocal object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anyonya (अन्योन्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग (reciprocal); द्वितीया एकवचन; adverbial ‘each other’

• sampariṣvajya: having clung to
• sampariṣvajya: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pari-svaj (स्वज्/स्वञ्ज् धातु ‘to embrace, cling’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having embraced/held on’

• jagmuḥ: went
• jagmuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन

• yojanam: a yojana (distance)
• yojanam: Karma (कर्म/extent traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yojana (योजन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; measure of distance

• antaram: inside, inward
• antaram: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/extent within)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (अन्तर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; adverbial-accusative ‘within/inside’

Context

Holding one another's hands, they went in for a distance of one yojana inside the cave that was densely covered with several kinds of trees.

Characters & Entities

• yojana (distance unit)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes mutual support in righteous work: community and cooperation sustain individuals when conditions are dangerous.

What is the narrative situation?

In a hard-to-navigate cave, the vānaras proceed by physically holding one another, advancing deeper.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Teamwork and loyalty—protecting companions while pursuing the shared mission.