Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 15

अहल्याशापवर्णनम्

The Account of Ahalyā’s Curse and the Deserted Hermitage near Mithilā

Devanagari script

गौतमस्य नरश्रेष्ठ पूर्वमासीन्महात्मन:।।।।आश्रमो दिव्यसङ्काशस्सुरैरपि सुपूजित:।

Transliteration

gautamasya naraśreṣṭha pūrvam āsīn mahātmanaḥ || āśramo divyasaṅkāśaḥ surair api supūjitaḥ |

Translation

“Hỡi bậc tối thượng trong loài người, thuở trước đây là đạo tràng của đại hiền Gautama—rạng ngời như cõi trời, đến chư thiên cũng kính lễ cúng dường.”

Word by Word

• gautamasya: of Gautama
• gautamasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• nara-śreṣṭha: O best of men
• nara-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; tatpuruṣa used as vocative: 'best of men'

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of time

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (लङ्, imperfect), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Eka-vacana (singular)

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled (sage)
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Genitive (6th/षष्ठī), Singular; appositional with gautamasya

• āśramaḥ: the hermitage
• āśramaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• divya-saṅkāśaḥ: celestial in appearance
• divya-saṅkāśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifying āśramaḥ

• suraiḥ: by the gods
• suraiḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• api: even
• api: Vākyaprakāśaka (वाक्यप्रकाशक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (समुच्चय/अपि)

• su-pūjitaḥ: well-honoured
• su-pūjitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + √pūj (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) with prefix su-, Puṃliṅga, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifying āśramaḥ

Context

O Best among men! this hermitage resembling a celestial retreat and well-honoured even by devatas once belonged to illustrious Gautama.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Rāma
• Gautama
• devas (suras)

FAQs

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

Honor is shown to tapas and sanctity: a hermitage becomes ‘divine’ through righteous practice, and even devas respect such dharmic power.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra identifies the deserted place as Gautama’s former āśrama, setting up the Ahalyā-Gautama-Indra account.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Gautama’s spiritual stature (mahātman) and the reverence it commands, implying the value of disciplined ascetic dharma.