Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 42, Shloka 4

लङ्काप्राकारारोहणम् / Assault on Lanka’s Ramparts and the Opening Clash

Devanagari script

सदृष्ट्वावानरैःसर्वांवसुधांकवलीकृताम् ।कथंक्षपयितव्याःस्युरितिचिन्तापरोऽभवत् ।।।।

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā vānaraiḥ sarvāṃ vasudhāṃ kavalīkṛtām |

kathaṃ kṣapayitavyāḥ syur iti cintāparo 'bhavat ||

Translation

Seeing the Vānaras spread over the whole land as though they had swallowed it up, he fell into anxious thought: “How are they to be destroyed?”

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Gerund/absolutive (क्त्वा), avyaya

• vānaraiḥ: by the Vanaras
• vānaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• sarvām: entire
• sarvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifies vasudhām

• vasudhām: earth/land
• vasudhām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasudhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• kavalī-kṛtām: swallowed up/overrun
• kavalī-kṛtām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kavalī√kṛ (धातु) > kavalīkṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifies vasudhām

• katham: how
• katham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, interrogative adverb

• kṣapayitavyāḥ: to be destroyed
• kṣapayitavyāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṣi (धातु) > kṣapayitavya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/tavyat), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; predicate adjective with syuḥ

• syuḥ: might be / should be
• syuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्/vidhiliṅ), 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotation particle

• cintā-paraḥ: absorbed in worry
• cintā-paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cintā + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; tatpuruṣa: cintāyāṃ paraḥ = intent on thought

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Context

Seeing the Vanaras occupying the entire earth, Ravana thought of destroying and started thinking.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa (implied by context)
• Vānara forces
• Earth/land (vasudhā)

FAQs

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

Adharma breeds insecurity: one who persists in wrongdoing turns to destruction as a solution, rather than restitution and truth (satya).

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa observes the Vānara forces occupying the region and begins strategizing their elimination.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse emphasizes the absence of virtue—showing anxiety and destructive intent instead of repentance or adherence to satya.