Ramayana — Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 10, Shloka 15

सुग्रीवस्य वैरानुकथनम्

Sugriva’s Account of Enmity and Appeal to Rama

Devanagari script

स तु दृष्ट्वैव मां रात्रौ सद्वितीयं महाबलः।।प्राद्रवद्भयसन्त्रस्तो वीक्ष्यावां समुपागतौ।अनुद्रुतश्च वेगेन प्रविवेश महाबिलम्।।

Transliteration

sa tu dṛṣṭvaiva māṃ rātrau sadvitīyaṃ mahābalaḥ | prādravad bhayasantrasto vīkṣyāvāṃ samupāgatau | anudrutaś ca vegena praviveśa mahābilam ||

Translation

那强悍者夜里见我身旁尚有同伴，便惊惧奔逃；见我二人逼近，遂仓皇遁走，在追逐之下疾速冲入一处巨大的洞窟。

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधारणार्थक

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having seen’

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (immediately/indeed)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• sadvitīyam: with a second (companion)
• sadvitīyam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सह-समासार्थ): sa (सह) + dvitīya (द्वितीय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; mām-विशेषण

• mahābalaḥ: the mighty one
• mahābalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: mahā (महान्) + bala (बल); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prādravat: ran away
• prādravat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-drav (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhayasantrastaḥ: terrified with fear
• bhayasantrastaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya-santrasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: bhayena santrastaḥ; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vīkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having seen’

• āvām: the two of us
• āvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), द्विवचन

• samupāgatau: having come near
• samupāgatau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-upa-ā-gam (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘having approached’ (describing āvām)

• anudrutaḥ: being chased
• anudrutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-drut (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘chased/followed in running’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• vegena: with speed
• vegena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे

• praviveśa: entered
• praviveśa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-viś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahābilam: a huge cave
• mahābilam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-bila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: mahā (महान्) + bila (बिल); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

Context

'The powerful demon that night saw me followed by another advancing towards him and fled out of fear. When we chased him, he entered this huge cave in great speed.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Vālin
• Māyāvī (implied as ‘that powerful one’)

FAQs

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

Dharma as protection: confronting a violent aggressor is portrayed as a necessary response to threat, not mere personal rivalry.

What is the narrative situation?

Māyāvī, seeing Sugrīva with Vālin, flees and takes refuge in a huge cave while they pursue him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Determination and readiness to pursue wrongdoing, while keeping the account factual (satya).