सपत्न्या तु गरस्तस्यै दत्तो गर्भजिघांसया। सह तेन गरेणैव जात: स सगरोऽभवत्
Meaning
Because her rival had given her poison (gara) hoping to destroy the unborn child, the boy who was born together with that poison came to be called Sagara.
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| sapatnyā tu garaḥ tasyai | सपत्न्या तु गरः तस्यै | but poison, by her co-wife, to her | Instrumental / Adverbial / Nominative / Dative |
| dattaḥ garbha-jighāṃsayā | दत्तः गर्भ-जिघांसया | had been given, out of a desire to destroy the fetus | Nominative / Instrumental |
| saha tena gareṇa eva | सह तेन गरेण एव | born together with that very poison | Adverbial / Instrumental / Instrumental / Adverbial |
| jātaḥ sa sagaraḥ abhavat | जातः स सगरः अभवत् | he became Sagara | Nominative / Nominative / Nominative / Verb (imperfect) |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source expands considerably on Sagara's origin story: after his mother is dissuaded from self-immolation by Sage Chyavana, who takes her in, Chyavana raises Sagara and teaches him archery (including the fire-missile), kingcraft, and scripture. When grown, Sagara wars against the Haihayas, Talajanghas, and Shashabindus who had driven out his father Asita, and in defeating them strips their Kshatriya status -- tonsuring the Yavanas, half-tonsuring the Shakas (Scythians), and leaving the Paradas shaggy-haired. The source adds an etymological aside connecting 'Parada' to Persia and noting old Indo-Iranian links, plus a suggestion that the name 'Asita' (Sagara's father) bears a resemblance to 'Asia.'
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.70.37 · Bāla Kāṇḍa