Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 38, Shloka 15

सगरस्य पुत्रलाभः

Sagara’s Boons, Progeny, and the Rise of the Sixty Thousand

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणमृषिं कृत्वा शिरसाऽभिप्रणम्य च।जगाम स्वपुरं राजा सभार्यो रघुनन्दन ।।।।

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇam ṛṣiṃ kṛtvā śirasā ’bhipraṇamya ca | jagāma svapuraṃ rājā sabhāryo raghunandana ||

Translation

Hỡi Raghunandana, đức vua cùng các hoàng hậu đi nhiễu quanh bậc hiền rishi, cúi đầu đảnh lễ, chí thành kính bái, rồi trở về kinh đô của mình.

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation (keeping to the right)
• प्रदक्षिणम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (accusative of manner)

• ऋषिम्: the sage
• ऋषिम्: कर्म (object with kṛtvā: 'having made [the sage]...')
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done / having made
• कृत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund)

• शिरसा: with (his) head
• शिरसा: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन

• अभिप्रणम्य: having bowed / having saluted
• अभिप्रणम्य: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु) उपसर्गाः अभि- + प्र-
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्व-पुरम्: to his own city
• स्व-पुरम्: कर्म/गत्यर्थकर्म (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('own city')

• राजा: the king
• राजा: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स-भार्यः: together with (his) wives
• स-भार्यः: विशेषण (to rājā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गवत्) + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (sa + bhārya = 'with wives')

• रघुनन्दन: O Rāghunandana
• रघुनन्दन: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघुनन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Context

O son of the Raghus! the king along with his wives, having circumambulated saint Bhrugu, bowed his head in reverence, saluted him with folded hands and returned to his capital.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Raghunandana)
• Sage (Ṛṣi; identified in the given word-meaning as Bhṛgu)
• King Sagara (implied by narrative continuity)
• Ayodhyā (implied as svapura/capital)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is reverence toward spiritual authority: honoring a sage through pradakṣiṇā and respectful salutations, recognizing that power and kingship are guided by higher moral and ascetic authority.

What is the narrative situation?

After meeting and receiving the sage’s favor/blessing, the king completes formal acts of respect and returns to his capital with his queens.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Humility and propriety (maryādā): even a king submits to disciplined etiquette before a sage.