Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 36, Shloka 10

बालकाण्ड सर्ग ३६

गङ्गा-प्रभवप्रश्नः, शिवतेजोधारणं, कार्त्तिकेय-जन्म, उमाशापः

Devanagari script

न लोका धारयिष्यन्ति तव तेजस्सुरोत्तम ।।।।ब्राह्मेण तपसा युक्तो देव्या सह तपश्चर।त्रैलोक्यहितकामार्थं तेजस्तेजसि धारय ।।।।

Transliteration

na lokā dhārayiṣyanti tava tejaḥ surottama |

brāhmeṇa tapasā yukto devyā saha tapaś cara |

trailokya-hita-kāmārthaṃ tejas tejasi dhāraya ||1.36.10-11||

Translation

“Ô bậc tối thượng trong chư thiên, các thế giới sẽ không thể gánh chịu uy quang rực cháy của Ngài. Xin Ngài cùng với Nữ Thần (Umā) tu khổ hạnh, được nhiếp trì bởi phạm hạnh và Veda; vì lợi ích của ba cõi, hãy giữ tejas ấy trong chính tejas của Ngài.”

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• lokāḥ: worlds
• lokāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• dhārayiṣyanti: will sustain/contain
• dhārayiṣyanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• tejaḥ: energy, radiance
• tejaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• surottama: O best of gods
• surottama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (surāṇām uttamaḥ)

• brāhmeṇa: by brahmic/vedic
• brāhmeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying tapasā)

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• yuktaḥ: endowed, joined
• yuktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to implied 'tvam')

• devyā: with the goddess (Uma)
• devyā: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• cara: practice, perform
• cara: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• trailokyahitakāmārtham: for the welfare of the three worlds
• trailokyahitakāmārtham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tri + loka + hita + kāma + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial accusative of purpose): "for the purpose of desiring the welfare of the three worlds"

• tejaḥ: energy
• tejaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tejasi: in (your) energy
• tejasi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• dhāraya: hold, retain
• dhāraya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

"O best among the gods, the worlds cannot contain your energy (the son born of your energy) You may engage yourself in penance in the company of Uma in conformity with the Vedas. Retain your energy in your body for the welfare of the three worlds."

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• three worlds (trailokya)
• tejas

FAQs

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

Dharma is self-restraint for the common good: immense power must be governed and contained so that the world-order is protected (trailokya-hita).

What is the narrative situation?

The gods counsel Śiva that his tejas is too overwhelming for the worlds and request him to restrain it through Vedic-aligned austerity with Umā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Responsible stewardship of power—redirecting potency into disciplined tapas for universal welfare.