धवाश्वकर्णककुभैर्बिल्वतिन्दुकपाटलै:। सङ्कीर्णं बदरीभिश्च किन्न्वेतद्दारुणं वनम्।।1.24.15।।
Meaning
"Dense with dhava, ashvakarna, bilva, tinduka, patala, and badari trees — what dreadful forest is this?"
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| dhava-aśvakarṇa-kakubhaiḥ | धव-अश्वकर्ण-ककुभैः | with dhava, ashvakarna, kakubha [trees] | Instrumental plural |
| bilva-tinduka-pāṭalaiḥ | बिल्व-तिन्दुक-पाटलैः | with bilva, tinduka, patala [trees] | Instrumental plural |
| saṃkīrṇam badarībhiḥ ca | संकीर्णम् बदरीभिः च | mixed with jujube trees too | Nominative singular / Instrumental plural |
| kim nu etat dāruṇam vanam | किम् नु एतत् दारुणम् वनम् | what indeed is this terrible forest | Nominative singular |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source cites Griffith's botanical identifications for the trees named in this verse: dhava (Grislea tomentosa), ashvakarna (Shorea robusta), bilva (Aegle marmelos), patala (Bignonia suaveolens), and badari (a jujube), noting that Griffith himself omitted identifying kutaja and tinduka.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.24.15 · Bāla Kāṇḍa