Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 10, Shloka 13

रावणान्तःपुरे शयनदर्शनम्

Hanumān Observes Rāvaṇa’s Inner Apartments and Sleeping Court

Devanagari script

अथाऽऽरोहणमासाद्य वेदिकाऽन्तरमाश्रितः।सुप्तं राक्षसशार्दूलं प्रेक्षते स्म महाकपिः।।।।

Transliteration

athā ’rōhaṇam āsādya vedikāntaram āśritaḥ |

suptaṃ rākṣasaśārdūlaṃ prekṣate sma mahākapiḥ ||

Translation

ثم إنّ القردَ العظيم، إذ بلغ موضعَ الصعود ولاذَ بمنصّةٍ أخرى، أخذ ينظر من جديد إلى نائمِ الرّاكشَسا، ذلك النمرِ بينهم.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (discourse particle): ‘then/now’

• आरोहणम्: stairway/ascent
• आरोहणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरोहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of āsādya)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद्/आ-√साद् (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having reached’

• वेदिका-अन्तरम्: the space/another platform between altars
• वेदिका-अन्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदिका (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: वेदिकायाः अन्तरम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of āśritaḥ)

• आश्रितः: having taken position/approached
• आश्रितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)→आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण (having taken refuge/approached)

• सुप्तम्: sleeping
• सुप्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)→सुप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of राक्षसशार्दूलम्)

• राक्षस-शार्दूलम्: tiger among rākṣasas
• राक्षस-शार्दूलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: राक्षसानां शार्दूलः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• प्रेक्षते: looks at
• प्रेक्षते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्म: indeed/then (past marker)
• स्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (particle indicating past/continuative sense with present)

• महा-कपिः: the great monkey
• महा-कपिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + कपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

Context

The great vanara ascended the stairway and reached another altar and once again looked at the sleeping Ravana, the tiger among demons.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rāvaṇa (implied by rākṣasaśārdūla)

FAQs

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

Dharma as disciplined action: Hanumān repositions to a safer vantage point and reassesses, showing responsible conduct under risk.

What is the narrative situation?

After recoiling in caution, Hanumān moves to a stair/platform and resumes watching Rāvaṇa to understand the situation clearly.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Strategic intelligence—he chooses position and timing rather than acting impulsively.