Shloka 116

गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

क्रियया योगमास्थाय तथा त्वमपि विक्रम । राजन! पुलस्त्यकुमार विश्रवाका पुत्र रावण नामक राक्षस श्रीरामचन्द्रजीके द्वारा क्रियात्मक उपाय और युक्तिकौशलके सहारे ही सम्बन्धियों और सेवकोंसहित मारा गया, उसी प्रकार आप भी पराक्रम प्रकट करें

Transliteration

kriyayā yogam āsthāya tathā tvam api vikrama | rājan pulastyakumāra viśravāka putra rāvaṇa-nāmaka rākṣasaḥ śrīrāmacandrajī-kṛtayā kriyātmaka-upāyena yuktikauśalena ca sambandhibhiḥ sevakaiś ca saha hataḥ, tathā tvam api parākramaṁ prakaṭaya ||

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „Indem du dich auf diszipliniertes Handeln und praktische Strategie stützt, handle auch du so, o Vikrama. O König, der Rākṣasa namens Rāvaṇa—Sohn des Viśravas, Nachkomme des Pulastya—wurde von Śrī Rāmacandra durch wirksame Mittel und geschickte Taktik erschlagen, samt seinen Verwandten und Dienern. Ebenso sollst auch du deine Tapferkeit offenbaren.“

Word by Word

• क्रियया: by action / by practical means
• क्रियया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• योगम्: strategy, method, device
• योगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having resorted to / having adopted
• आस्थाय: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु: स्था)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• विक्रम: O Vikrama / O valiant one
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• विक्रम (Vikrama)
• राजन् (the King, addressed)
• पुलस्त्य (Pulastya)
• विश्रवाः (Viśravas)
• रावण (Rāvaṇa)
• श्रीरामचन्द्र (Śrī Rāmacandra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Heroism should be guided by disciplined action and intelligent strategy; righteous aims in war are achieved not by mere force but by well-chosen means (upāya) and tactical skill (yukti-kauśala).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses a king/warrior called ‘Vikrama,’ urging him to display valor. He cites the Ramayana example of Rāvaṇa’s defeat by Rāma through practical measures and strategic ingenuity, implying that similar resolve and method should be applied here.