Shloka 7

प्रमदावनविध्वंसः | The Devastation of the Pleasure-Garden

Ashoka Vatika

Devanagari script

इहैव तावत्कृतनिश्चयो ह्यहं यदि व्रजेयं प्लवगेश्वरालयम्।परात्मसम्मर्दविशेषतत्त्ववित्ततः कृतं स्यान्मम भर्तृशासनम्।।।।

Transliteration

ihaiva tāvat kṛtaniścayo hy ahaṃ yadi vrajeyaṃ plavageśvarālayam |

parātmasammardaviśeṣatattvavittataḥ kṛtaṃ syān mama bhartṛśāsanam ||

Translation

Nếu ngay tại đây ta đã quyết định vững vàng mà trở về Kiṣkindhā, nơi ngự của chúa tể loài khỉ, sau khi hiểu rõ sự sai biệt giữa sức mạnh của địch và ta trong chiến trận, thì mệnh lệnh của chủ ta hẳn đã được thi hành trọn vẹn.

Word by Word

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'here'

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/emphasis (निपात)

• tāvat: for now/therefore
• tāvat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) = 'so much/for the present/therefore'

• kṛta-niścayaḥ: one who has made up his mind
• kṛta-niścayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त) + niścaya (निश्चय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); past participle used adjectivally; compound = 'made + decision'

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) expressing reason/emphasis

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम); Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय/शर्त-निपात) = conditional 'if'

• vrajeyam: I should go
• vrajeyam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), First person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada

• plavaga-īśvara-ālayam: the abode of the monkey-lord
• plavaga-īśvara-ālayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plavaga (प्लवग प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (ईश्वर प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (आलय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; compound = 'abode of the lord of monkeys'

• para-ātma-sammarda-viśeṣa-tattva-vit-tataḥ: from the standpoint of knowing the true distinction of enemy/self strength
• para-ātma-sammarda-viśeṣa-tattva-vit-tataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (पर) + ātman (आत्मन्) + sammarda (सम्मर्द) + viśeṣa (विशेष) + tattva (तत्त्व) + vit (विद्/वित् प्रातिपदिक 'knower') + tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तसिल्-प्रत्यय/ततः) used as indeclinable; sense: 'from/according to (the standpoint of) the knower of the true distinction of the crushing/strength of the enemy and self'

• kṛtam: done/accomplished
• kṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; past passive participle used predicatively

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; Parasmaipada

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• bhartṛ-śāsanam: my lord's command
• bhartṛ-śāsanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (भर्तृ प्रातिपदिक) + śāsana (शासन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; compound = 'lord's command'

Context

'If I ascertain the difference in the strength of enemies and vanaras in war here itself and return to Kishkinda, the abode of vanaras, then I would have executed the orders of my lord properly.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Kiṣkindhā
• Plavageśvara (Sugrīva)
• Rāma (bhartṛ/master implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma is faithful service: a messenger’s righteousness lies in executing the entrusted command with accurate knowledge, not merely with speed or emotion.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān considers returning after assessing comparative military strength, so that his report to Rāma and the vānaras is complete and actionable.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Loyalty and accountability: Hanumān measures success by how well he fulfils Rāma’s instruction.