Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 36, Shloka 6

बालकाण्ड सर्ग ३६

गङ्गा-प्रभवप्रश्नः, शिवतेजोधारणं, कार्त्तिकेय-जन्म, उमाशापः

Devanagari script

पुरा राम कृतोद्वाहो नीलकण्ठो महातपा:।दृष्ट्वा च स्पृहया देवीं मैथुनायोपचक्रमे।।।।

Transliteration

purā rāma kṛtodvāho nīlakaṇṭho mahā-tapāḥ |

dṛṣṭvā ca spṛhayā devīṃ maithunāyopacakrame ||

Translation

Thuở xưa, hỡi Rāma, Nīlakaṇṭha—bậc đại khổ hạnh—sau khi thành hôn cùng Nữ Thần, liền nhìn Ngài với lòng khao khát và khởi ý cầu hợp hoan phu thê.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• राम: O Rāma
• राम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• कृतोद्वाहः: having married
• कृतोद्वाहः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta + udvāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa-samāsa (तत्पुरुष): kṛtaḥ udvāhaḥ yena saḥ (कर्मधारय/उपपद-प्राय). Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying नीलकण्ठः

• नीलकण्ठः: Nīlakaṇṭha (Śiva)
• नीलकण्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīla + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya-samāsa (कर्मधारय): nīlaḥ kaṇṭhaḥ yasya saḥ. Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• महातपाः: great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi-samāsa (बहुव्रीहि): mahā tapas yasya saḥ. Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable (अव्ययभाव)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• स्पृहया: with desire
• स्पृहया: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: spṛhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• देवीम्: the goddess (Umā)
• देवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• मैथुनाय: for union
• मैथुनाय: Sampradāna/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maithuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन)

• उपचक्रमे: began
• उपचक्रमे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-kram (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

Context

"O Rama, in ancient times, great ascetic the blue-neck Lord Siva got married to goddess Uma charmed with her beauty he indulged in sexual enjoyment with intensepassion.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Rāma
• Nīlakaṇṭha (Śiva)

FAQs

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

It frames the tension between tapas (discipline) and kāma (desire), a recurring ethical theme: dharma requires conscious governance of desire within rightful bounds.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra introduces the ancient episode of Śiva’s marriage to Umā and the commencement of conjugal life, setting up the circumstances that lead to later events.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse implicitly foregrounds self-mastery as the virtue needed when desire arises, especially for one characterized as mahā-tapāḥ.