Shloka 20

अरण्यकाण्डे एकोनत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sarga 29: Rama’s Admonition to Khara and the Shattering of the Mace

Devanagari script

सर्वथैव लघुत्वं ते कत्थनेन विदर्शितम्।सुवर्णप्रतिरूपेण तप्तेनेव कुशाग्निना।।।।

Transliteration

sarvathaiva laghutvaṃ te katthanena vidarśitam | suvarṇapratirūpeṇa tapteneva kuśāgninā ||

Translation

你以夸口自矜，便将自身卑劣尽数显露——如燃烧的库沙草火，炽起时竟泛出金色般的光泽。

Word by Word

• sarvathā: in every way
• sarvathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb) ‘in every way’

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (emphatic particle)

• laghutvam: littleness, meanness
• laghutvam: Karmaṇi-pradhāna/Pratipādya (predicate nominative; ‘is shown’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laghutva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napūṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana

• te: your
• te: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Gen. 6th), Ekavacana; enclitic ‘of you/your’

• katthanena: by boasting
• katthanena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: katthana (प्रातिपदिक; from √katth)
• Form: Napūṃsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instr. 3rd), Ekavacana

• vidarśitam: is shown, is exhibited
• vidarśitam: Kriyā (क्रिया) (passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: kta-participle used predicatively; Napūṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana; passive sense ‘has been shown’

• suvarṇapratirūpeṇa: by something resembling gold
• suvarṇapratirūpeṇa: Karaṇa/Upamā-sādhana (instrument of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa + pratirūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napūṃsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instr. 3rd), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘resembling gold’

• taptena: heated
• taptena: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √tap धातु)
• Form: Napūṃsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instr. 3rd), Ekavacana; kta-participle qualifying (implicit) ‘(loham/metal)’

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (comparative particle)

• kuśāgninā: by the kuśa-grass fire
• kuśāgninā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instr. 3rd), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘fire of kuśa-grass’

Context

All your meanness is exhibited by your boasting just as the kusa grass caught by fire appears like gold.

Characters & Entities

• Khara
• Rama
• kuśa (sacred grass)
• agni (fire)

FAQs

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

Speech exposes character: boastful display is portrayed as a sign of inner smallness, not true virtue.

What is the narrative situation?

Khara concludes his taunting critique of Rama’s words with a metaphor comparing boastful brilliance to deceptive fire-glow.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Humility and authenticity—true worth should be steady and proven by deeds, not by showy speech.