Shloka 886
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
हरिष्ये रावणं रौद्रं सगणं लोककण्टकम् । ब्रह्मन्! वे देवकार्यकी सिद्धिके लिये मेरे सहायक होंगे। तदनन्तर मैं पुलस्त्यकुलांगार भयंकर राक्षसराज रावणको
hariṣye rāvaṇaṃ raudraṃ sagaṇaṃ lokakaṇṭakam | brahman! ye devakāryakī siddhike liye mere sahāyak hoṅge | tadanantaraṃ ahaṃ pulastyakulāṅgāraṃ bhayaṅkaraṃ rākṣasarājaṃ rāvaṇaṃ, yo samasta jagatke liye bhayāvaha hogā, tasya gaṇaiḥ saha mārayiṣye |
হে ব্রাহ্মণ! দেবকার্যসিদ্ধির জন্য যারা আমার সহায় হবে, আমি তাদেরই আশ্রয় নেব। তারপর আমি লোককণ্টক, রৌদ্র, গণসহ, পুলস্ত্যবংশের অঙ্গারসদৃশ ভয়ংকর রাক্ষসরাজ রাবণকে সংহার করব।
(भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames the removal of a world-harming tyrant as a dharmic act when undertaken for the protection of beings and in alignment with a higher, divinely sanctioned purpose (devakārya). It emphasizes that force, though grave, can be ethically contextualized as restorative when directed against a ‘scourge of the world’ and supported by rightful allies.
The speaker declares an intention to eliminate Ravana—described as fierce and a tormentor of the worlds—along with his followers. He also notes that certain helpers will aid him in fulfilling the gods’ objective, after which Ravana will be slain.