Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 4
Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra — Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya
Concise Bhāgavata Account
Devanagari script
गुर्वर्थे त्यक्तराज्यो व्यचरदनुवनं पद्मपद्भ्यां प्रियाया: पाणिस्पर्शाक्षमाभ्यां मृजितपथरुजो यो हरीन्द्रानुजाभ्याम् । वैरूप्याच्छूर्पणख्या: प्रियविरहरुषारोपितभ्रूविजृम्भ- त्रस्ताब्धिर्बद्धसेतु: खलदवदहन: कोसलेन्द्रोऽवतान्न: ॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration
gurv-arthe tyakta-rājyo vyacarad anuvanaṁ padma-padbhyāṁ priyāyāḥ pāṇi-sparśākṣamābhyāṁ mṛjita-patha-rujo yo harīndrānujābhyām vairūpyāc chūrpaṇakhyāḥ priya-viraha-ruṣāropita-bhrū-vijṛmbha- trastābdhir baddha-setuḥ khala-dava-dahanaḥ kosalendro ’vatān naḥ
Translation
为守父王誓言、遵从师命，罗摩旃陀罗主立刻舍弃王位，与挚爱悉多以莲花般柔嫩的双足行走林林，柔嫩到仿佛连悉多掌心的触碰都难承受；其旅途疲惫由猴王与弟弟拉克什玛那为之拂去。祂割去舒尔帕那卡之鼻耳，因与悉多分离而震怒，眉宇一动便令大海战栗，遂允建桥渡海；继而如林火吞噬般焚灭罗波那之国。愿科萨拉之王圣罗摩护佑我等。
Synonyms
guru-arthefor the sake of the teacher
guru-arthe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) (purpose context)
TypeNoun
Rootguru (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Locative (7 विभक्ति), Singular; tatpuruṣa: guroḥ arthe ‘for the sake of the teacher’ (purpose-locative)
tyakta-rājyaḥhaving renounced the kingdom
tyakta-rājyaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roottyakta (कृदन्त; √tyaj त्यज्, क्त) + rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: tyaktaṃ rājyaṃ yena saḥ (could be analyzed as bahuvrīhi in sense, but form functions as adjective ‘having abandoned kingdom’); agrees with kosalendraḥ
vyacaratwandered
vyacarat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-√car (चर्; धातु)
FormLaṅ-lakāra (लङ्, Imperfect), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana
anuvanamthrough the forest(s)
anuvanam:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) (adverbial of place)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanu (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyayībhāva: anu + vanam → anuvanam; used adverbially ‘through the forests’
padma-padbhyāmwith (his) lotus-feet
padma-padbhyām:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootpadma (प्रातिपदिक) + pad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka? (padma as neuter) + pad (napuṁsaka/puṁ? here ‘feet’ napuṁsaka plural dual instr.); overall: Instrumental (3 विभक्ति), Dual (द्विवचन) of pad (पाद) with qualifier padma ‘lotus-like’; karmadhāraya ‘lotus-feet’
priyāyāḥof (his) beloved (Sītā)
priyāyāḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootpriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Genitive (6 विभक्ति), Singular
pāṇi-sparśa-akṣamābhyām(two) too tender to bear hand-touch
pāṇi-sparśa-akṣamābhyām:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣamā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Instrumental (3 विभक्ति), Dual; tatpuruṣa: pāṇi-sparśe akṣamā ‘unable to bear the touch of the hand’; qualifies priyāyāḥ (implied ‘with her two [feet]...’ or ‘by the two [hands]...’—context: tender hands/feet)
mṛjita-patha-rujaḥwhose travel-pains were soothed/removed
mṛjita-patha-rujaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmṛjita (कृदन्त; √mṛj मृज्, क्त) + patha (प्रातिपदिक) + ruj (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Genitive, Singular (agreeing with priyāyāḥ); tatpuruṣa: patha-rujaḥ mṛjitāḥ yasyāḥ ‘whose pains of the path were wiped away’
yaḥwho
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Nominative, Singular; relative pronoun referring to kosalendraḥ
harīndra-anujābhyāmwith the two younger brothers of the monkey-king
harīndra-anujābhyām:
Sahakāraka (सहकारक) / Karaṇa (करण) (companionship/instrumental)
TypeNoun
Roothari-indra (प्रातिपदिक) + anuja (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Instrumental, Dual; tatpuruṣa: harīndrayoḥ anujau ‘younger brothers of the lord of monkeys’ (i.e., Sugrīva’s younger? commonly: Lakṣmaṇa and others as ‘younger brothers’—here likely ‘with the two younger brothers of the lord of monkeys’ = with Lakṣmaṇa and (Hanumān?) contextually; grammatically dual instrumental)
vairūpyātfrom disfigurement
vairūpyāt:
Hetu (हेतु) / Apādāna (अपादान) (cause)
TypeNoun
Rootvairūpya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Ablative (5 विभक्ति), Singular
śūrpaṇakhyāḥfrom Śūrpaṇakhā
śūrpaṇakhyāḥ:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootśūrpaṇakhā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Ablative (5 विभक्ति), Singular (Vedic/epic variant; classical would often show -yāḥ as gen/abl; here taken as ablative ‘from Śūrpaṇakhā’)
priya-viraha-ruṣā-āropita-bhrū-vijṛmbha(with) brows raised in anger from separation from the beloved
priya-viraha-ruṣā-āropita-bhrū-vijṛmbha:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) (qualifies trastābdhiḥ)
TypeAdjective
Rootpriya (प्रातिपदिक) + viraha (प्रातिपदिक) + ruṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + āropita (कृदन्त; ā-√ruh/rop? here ā-√ruh/√rop ‘to raise’, क्त) + bhrū (प्रातिपदिक) + vijṛmbha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormCompound used as qualifier in next word; internal tatpuruṣa chain: ‘brow-frown (bhrū-vijṛmbha) raised (āropita) by anger (ruṣā) due to separation from the beloved (priya-viraha)’; (stem) functioning adjectivally
trastābdhiḥhe who made the ocean tremble
trastābdhiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता) (as epithet in apposition)
TypeNoun
Roottrasta (कृदन्त; √tras त्रस्, क्त) + abdhi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Nominative, Singular; bahuvrīhi: ‘he by whom the ocean was frightened’ / ‘whose ocean was frightened’; epithet of Rāma
baddha-setuḥbuilder of the bridge (to Laṅkā)
baddha-setuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता) (epithet)
TypeNoun
Rootbaddha (कृदन्त; √bandh बन्ध्, क्त) + setu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Nominative, Singular; bahuvrīhi: ‘he whose bridge was built’ / ‘bridge-builder’
khala-dava-dahanaḥdestroyer of the wicked (like a forest fire)
khala-dava-dahanaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता) (epithet)
TypeNoun
Rootkhala (प्रातिपदिक) + dava (प्रातिपदिक) + dahana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: khala-davaḥ (forest-fire of the wicked) tasya dahanaḥ ‘the burner/extinguisher of the wicked-forest-fire’ (context: destroyer of wicked like a fire)
kosalendraḥthe lord of Kosala (Rāma)
kosalendraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkosala (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: kosalānām indraḥ ‘lord of Kosala’
avatātmay (he) protect
avatāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootava-√tā (ता/त्रा; धातु)
FormLoṭ-lakāra (लोट्, Imperative/benedictive sense), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana
naḥus
naḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive (6 विभक्ति) / Accusative (2 विभक्ति), Plural; enclitic pronoun ‘us/our’ (here object of protection)
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śrī RāmaS
SītāL
LakṣmaṇaH
HanumānŚ
ŚūrpaṇakhāFAQs
This verse praises Rāma for giving up His kingdom to fulfill the guru’s purpose, presenting guru-sevā and obedience to dharma as divine qualities worthy of remembrance and worship.
It highlights the tenderness of Sītā’s feet during exile and glorifies the loving service of Rāma’s devotees—Lakṣmaṇa and Hanumān—who relieved the hardships of the journey.
Practice dharma through sacrifice, honor spiritual guidance, and cultivate devotional service—supporting loved ones and serving the Lord’s mission with steadiness, as Lakṣmaṇa and Hanumān did.