Shloka 27

सागरप्रशमनम् / The Pacification of the Ocean and the Building of Nala’s Bridge

Devanagari script

नकामान्नचलोभाद्वानभयातत्सापार्थिवात्मज: ।ग्राहनकाकुलजलंस्तम्बयेयंकथञ्जन ।।।।

Transliteration

na kāmān na ca lobhād vā na bhayāt tāta pārthivātmajaḥ | grāha-nakākulaṃ jalaṃ stambhayeyaṃ kathaṃcana ||

Translation

“Ôi vương tử, con của bậc quân vương—ta tuyệt chẳng vì dục vọng, chẳng vì tham lam, cũng chẳng vì sợ hãi mà có thể làm cho những làn nước đầy cá sấu và muôn loài này đông cứng lại.”

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध / negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-avyaya (negation)

• kāmāt: from desire
• kāmāt: Hetu (हेतु / cause-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Pañcamī-vibhakti (Ablative/5th), Ekavacana

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध / negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-avyaya (negation)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध / connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• lobhāt: from greed
• lobhāt: Hetu (हेतु / cause-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Pañcamī-vibhakti (Ablative/5th), Ekavacana

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध / alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-avyaya (disjunctive particle: or)

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध / negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-avyaya (negation)

• bhayāt: from fear
• bhayāt: Hetu (हेतु / cause-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Pañcamī-vibhakti (Ablative/5th), Ekavacana

• tat: therefore/that
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध / deictic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka (Neuter), Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; here as discourse particle 'that/therefore'

• saḥ: I/he (that one)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता / subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; pronoun

• pārthiva-ātmaja: O son of the king (O prince)
• pārthiva-ātmaja: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन / address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana

• grāhaṇaka-ākula-jalam: water infested with crocodiles/sea-creatures
• grāhaṇaka-ākula-jalam: Karma (कर्म / object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāhaṇaka (प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka (Neuter), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana; ākula = 'crowded/infested'

• stambhayeyam: I should stop/solidify
• stambhayeyam: Kriyā (क्रिया / verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stambh (स्तम्भ् धातु)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (Optative), Uttama-puruṣa (1st), Ekavacana; parasmaipada; causative sense 'to make rigid/stop' (स्तम्भय-)

• kathañcana: in any way
• kathañcana: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण / adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathañcana (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb: 'in any way/at all')

Context

"O Lord of the land! Out of desire or covetousness or even out of fear I will not be able to solidify the water infested with poisonous animals."

Characters & Entities

• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Rāma
• grāha (crocodiles)

FAQs

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

Dharma is not swayed by personal motives (desire/greed/fear). The Ocean insists that even strong emotional pressures cannot justify violating the natural order entrusted to it.

What is the narrative situation?

The Ocean responds to Rāma’s demand for a crossing by stating it cannot transform its waters into a solid path, emphasizing the waters’ dangerous ecology.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Integrity and steadfastness: the Ocean refuses to act from impulse and frames its refusal as fidelity to its ordained function.