Shloka 17

तथोक्त्वा राक्षसीस्तास्तु राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्।।।।निष्क्रम्यान्तः पुरात्तस्मात्किंकृत्यमिति चिन्तयन्।ददर्शाष्टौ महावीर्यान्राक्षसान्पिशिताशनान्।।।।

tathoktvā rākṣasīs tāstu rākṣasendraḥ pratāpavān |

niṣkramyāntaḥpurāt tasmāt kiṃkṛtyam iti cintayan |

dadarśāṣṭau mahāvīryān rākṣasān piśitāśanān ||

এইদৰে ৰাক্ষসীসকলক আদেশ দি, প্ৰতাপশালী ৰাক্ষসেন্দ্ৰ অন্তঃপুৰৰ পৰা ওলাই আহিল; “এতিয়া কি কৰা উচিত?” বুলি চিন্তা কৰোঁতে, মাংসভোজী আঠজন মহাবীৰ্য ৰাক্ষসক দেখিলে।

tathāthus
tathā:
Prakāra (प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
FormPrakāra-avyaya, 'thus/so'
uktvāhaving said
uktvā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (वच् धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), 'having said'
rākṣasīḥdemonesses
rākṣasīḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootrākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana
tāḥthose
tāḥ:
Karma (कर्म; apposition)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; refers to rākṣasīḥ
tuthen/indeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormNipāta, emphatic
rākṣasa-indraḥlord of demons
rākṣasa-indraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrākṣasa + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः 'lord of rākṣasas'
pratāpavānmighty/valiant
pratāpavān:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpratāpa-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifies rākṣasendraḥ
niṣkramyahaving come out
niṣkramya:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootnis-kram (क्रम् धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त), 'having gone out'
antaḥ-purātfrom the inner palace
antaḥ-purāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootantaḥpura (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Pañcamī, Ekavacana; ablative of source (अपादान)
tasmātfrom there
tasmāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃ/Napumsaka, Pañcamī, Ekavacana; deictic 'from that (place)'
kimwhat
kim:
Karma (कर्म; in question)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; interrogative used with kṛtyam
kṛtyamto be done (task)
kṛtyam:
Karma/Prayojya (कर्म/प्रयोज्य)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛtya (कृ धातु से निष्पन्न; प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'what is to be done'
itithus
iti:
Vākyaprayojaka (वाक्य-प्रयोजक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormQuotative particle
cintayanthinking
cintayan:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; concomitant action)
TypeVerb
Rootcint (चिन्त् धातु)
FormŚatṛ present active participle (शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with rākṣasendraḥ
dadarśasaw
dadarśa:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdṛś (दृश् धातु)
FormLiṭ (लिट्, Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada
aṣṭaueight
aṣṭau:
Saṅkhyā-viśeṣaṇa (संख्या-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootaṣṭan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNumeral, Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana (special numeral form); qualifies rākṣasān
mahā-vīryānvery powerful
mahā-vīryān:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmahā + vīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; qualifies rākṣasān
rākṣasāndemons
rākṣasān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootrākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana
piśita-āśanānflesh-eaters
piśita-āśanān:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpiśita + āśana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; तत्पुरुषः 'flesh-eating' qualifies rākṣasān

The courageous lord of the demons, having said so to the demonesses, came out of the inner apartment. While contemplating the future course of action, he saw eight powerful, carnivorous demons.

R
Rāvaṇa
A
Antaḥpura
E
Eight rākṣasas (unnamed)
R
Rākṣasīs (demonesses)

FAQs

When one departs from dharma, deliberation tends toward further harm: the question “what next?” becomes strategy for sustaining wrongdoing rather than correcting it.

After issuing orders about Sītā’s confinement, Rāvaṇa exits the inner quarters and considers his next move, encountering eight formidable rākṣasas.

Prudence is shown in a morally inverted way—strategic thinking exists, but without ethical restraint; the epic thereby highlights that intelligence without dharma is perilous.