Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 3, Shloka 28

लङ्कादुर्गवर्णनम्

Description of Lanka’s Fortifications and Forces

Devanagari script

शतशोऽथसहस्राणिमध्यमंस्कन्धमाश्रिताः ।यातुधानादुराधर्षास्साग्रकोटिश्चरक्षसाम् ।।।।

Transliteration

śataśo ’tha sahasrāṇi madhyamaṃ skandham āśritāḥ | yātudhānā durādharṣāḥ sāgrakoṭiś ca rakṣasām ||

Translation

And in the city’s central sector, hundreds and thousands of unassailable Yātudhānas are massed—Rākṣasas in numbers reaching into crores and beyond.

Word by Word

• शतशः: by hundreds
• शतशः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śataśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/वितरण-वाचक (distributive adverb: by hundreds)

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/समुच्चय (particle: then/and)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Saṅkhyā/Pramāṇa (संख्या/परिमाण) (quantifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (pl.)

• मध्यमम्: middle/central
• मध्यमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of स्कन्धम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (sg.); स्कन्धम्-विशेषणम्

• स्कन्धम्: the central sector/position
• स्कन्धम्: Karma (कर्म) (with आश्रिताः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

• आश्रिताः: having occupied / stationed
• आश्रिताः: Karta (कर्ता) (participial predicate; subject = यातुधानाः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√śri (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• यातुधानाः: yatudhanas (demonic warriors)
• यातुधानाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātudhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दुराधर्षाः: unassailable
• दुराधर्षाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of यातुधानाः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-ādhṛṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• साग्रकोटिः: a crore and more
• साग्रकोटिः: Karta (कर्ता) (elliptic: संख्या of रक्षसाम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa-agra + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (sg.); तत्पुरुष: अग्रेण सह कोटिः (a crore plus/with surplus)

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

• रक्षसाम्: of the rakshasas
• रक्षसाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), षष्ठी (Gen./6th), बहुवचन (pl.)

Context

"I have destroyed some of those roadways, even filled up the moats, burnt parts of the city of Lanka, smashed the boundary walls and killed part of the powerful army."

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Rākṣasa forces

FAQs

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

Dharma includes measured resolve: recognizing overwhelming opposition yet maintaining commitment to a righteous objective without panic or cruelty.

What is the narrative situation?

The scout notes that beyond the gates, Laṅkā’s interior also contains massive reserves of hardened fighters.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadfastness informed by truth—courage that is not blind but grounded in accurate intelligence.