Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 10, Shloka 24

ऋश्यशृङ्ग-आनयनम्

Bringing Ṛśyaśṛṅga to Aṅga and His Marriage to Śāntā

Devanagari script

ततोऽपरेद्युस्तं देशमाजगाम स वीर्यवान्।मनोज्ञा यत्र ता दृष्टा वारमुख्यास्स्वलङ्कृताः।।।।

Transliteration

tato ’paredyus taṃ deśam ājagāma sa vīryavān |

manojñā yatra tā dṛṣṭā vāramukhyāḥ svalāṅkṛtāḥ ||

Translation

Rồi đến ngày hôm sau, vị khổ hạnh đầy oai lực lại trở về nơi ấy—chốn chàng đã thấy những kỹ nữ xinh đẹp, trang sức lộng lẫy.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla/Anukrama (काल/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla/krama-vācaka (temporal-sequential adverb)

• aparedyuḥ: on the following day
• aparedyuḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aparedyus (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla-vācaka (on the next day/अपर-द्युः)

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (कर्म) / Object determiner
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; deśam qualifies (pronoun as determiner)

• deśam: place/region
• deśam: Karma (कर्म) / Object
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; object of ājagāma

• ājagāma: came
• ājagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) with ā-
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (perfect/लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; pronoun

• vīryavān: powerful
• vīryavān: Karta (कर्ता) / Qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vīrya-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; possessive adjective (मतुप्/वत्) qualifying saḥ

• manojñāḥ: charming
• manojñāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manojña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; predicate/qualifier of tāḥ (women)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) / Relative location
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-vācaka avyaya (relative adverb/यत्र)

• tāḥ: those (women)
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; subject of dṛṣṭāḥ

• dṛṣṭāḥ: were seen
• dṛṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) / Passive predicate
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √dṛś दृश्)
• Form: Bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle/क्त) used predicatively; Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana agreeing with tāḥ; passive sense 'were seen'

• vāramukhyāḥ: leading courtesans
• vāramukhyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāra-mukhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: vāra (courtesan/वारा) + mukhya (chief) = 'chief courtesans'

• svalaṅkṛtāḥ: well-adorned
• svalaṅkṛtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-alaṅkṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ with alam + su-)
• Form: Bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle/क्त) used adjectivally; Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; qualifier of tāḥ

Context

On the following day, the sage armed with the power of penance, came to the place where he had seen those enticing, well-adorned courtesans.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛśyaśṛṅga
• courtesans (vāramukhyāḥ)

FAQs

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

It warns that repeated exposure reinforces desire; dharma is sustained by guarding one’s steps and surroundings, not only by vows.

What is the narrative situation?

Unable to forget the encounter, Ṛśyaśṛṅga returns the next day to the same spot hoping to see the women again.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Perseverance (though here it manifests as persistence driven by longing rather than spiritual aim).