Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 58, Shloka 5

त्रिशङ्कुशापः

Trishanku’s Curse and Appeal to Viśvāmitra

Devanagari script

बालिशस्त्वं नरश्रेष्ठ गम्यतां स्वपुरं पुन:।याजने भगवाञ्छक्तस्त्रैलोक्यस्यापि पार्थिव।।।।अवमानं च तत्कर्तुं तस्य शक्ष्यामहे कथम्।

Transliteration

bāliśas tvaṃ naraśreṣṭha gamyatāṃ svapuraṃ punaḥ |

yājane bhagavān śaktas trailokyasyāpi pārthiva ||

avamānaṃ ca tat kartuṃ tasya śakṣyāmahe katham |

Translation

Ngài hành xử thật ấu trĩ, hỡi bậc tối thượng trong loài người; xin hãy trở về kinh thành của mình. Tâu Đại vương, bậc tôn kính ấy đủ năng lực chủ tế các lễ tế tự, dẫu cho cả ba cõi—làm sao chúng tôi có thể xúc phạm Ngài bằng cách làm khác đi?

Word by Word

• bāliśaḥ: childish/foolish
• bāliśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective to ‘tvam’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• nara-śreṣṭha: O best of men
• nara-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (genitive sense) ‘best among men’; Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• gamyatām: go/return
• gamyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ lakāra, Ātmanepada; Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person) Ekavacana in passive/impersonal imperative usage: ‘let it be gone/please go’

• sva-puram: to your own city
• sva-puram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya ‘own city’; Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• yājane: in sacrifice-officiation
• yājane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana; locative of sphere ‘in officiating/performing sacrifice’

• bhagavān: the venerable one
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; subject (Vasiṣṭha implied)

• śaktaḥ: capable
• śaktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śak (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle ‘able’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate to ‘bhagavān’

• trailokyasya: of the three worlds
• trailokyasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu (द्विगु) ‘three worlds’ → trailokya; Napumsaka, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• api: even
• api: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle ‘even/also’

• pārthiva: O king
• pārthiva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• avamānam: insult/disrespect
• avamānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; refers to ‘avamānam’

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Kriyārtha (क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातu) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• śakṣyāmahe: shall we be able
• śakṣyāmahe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ/Periphrastic future? actually Lṛṭ (लृट्, simple future) Ātmanepada; Uttama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

• katham: how
• katham: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; interrogative adverb

Context

O Best one among men! you are childish. Return to your capital. O Monarch! the most venerable Vasishta is capable of conducting sacrifices performed by anybody in the three worlds. How can we dishonour him'?

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

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

Dharma is maintaining maryādā: one should not dishonor a rightful preceptor, and one should accept correction rather than force a desired outcome through impropriety.

What is the narrative situation?

The sages rebuke the king’s persistence and advise him to return, stressing Vasiṣṭha’s unmatched ritual authority.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for elders/teachers and humility before spiritual competence (recognizing who is fit to lead sacred rites).