Valmiki Ramayana 1.39.2: Bala Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 2

सगरयज्ञाश्वहरणम्

The Stolen Sacrificial Horse of Sagara

Devanagari script

श्रोतुमिच्छामि भद्रं ते विस्तरेण कथामिमाम्।पूर्वको मे कथं ब्रह्मन् यज्ञं वै समुपाहरत्।।1.39.2।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 1.39.2

Transliteration

śrotum icchāmi bhadraṁ te vistareṇa kathām imām |

pūrvako me kathaṁ brahman yajñaṁ vai samupāharat ||1.39.2||

Translation

愿你吉祥，婆罗门啊。我愿详尽聆听此事：尊者啊，我的先祖是如何筹备并发动这场祭祀（yajña）的？

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Word by Word

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु) → śrotum (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थ

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भद्रम्: welfare, good fortune
• भद्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; आशीर्वादार्थक प्रयोग (benedictive object)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन (dative singular)

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; प्रकार/रीतिवाचक

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कथा-विशेषण

• पूर्वकः: ancestor
• पूर्वकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पूर्वक’ = पूर्वज (ancestor)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ब्राह्मण/ऋषि-सम्बोधन

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• समुपाहरत्: arranged
• समुपाहरत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘arranged/brought together’

Context

Having heard the words of the officiating priests, the king (Sagara) addressed his sixty thousand sons in the sacrificial assembly, saying:

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Viśvāmitra
• yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is the disciplined pursuit of knowledge through respectful inquiry—Rāma seeks truth (satya) by asking his teacher-figure to narrate the tradition accurately and in detail.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma requests Viśvāmitra to explain, in detail, the ancestral episode concerning the preparation of a major sacrifice (contextually, Sagara’s rite).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s humility and truth-seeking curiosity—he approaches the sage with courtesy and a genuine desire to understand the past.