Shloka 70.37Unverified draft

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)

WordDevanagariMeaningGrammatical role
sapatnyā tu garaḥ tasyaiसपत्न्या तु गरः तस्यैbut poison, by her co-wife, to herInstrumental / Adverbial / Nominative / Dative
dattaḥ garbha-jighāṃsayāदत्तः गर्भ-जिघांसयाhad been given, out of a desire to destroy the fetusNominative / Instrumental
saha tena gareṇa evaसह तेन गरेण एवborn together with that very poisonAdverbial / Instrumental / Instrumental / Adverbial
jātaḥ sa sagaraḥ abhavatजातः स सगरः अभवत्he became SagaraNominative / 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