Shloka 20

यवक्रीत-वधः

The Slaying of Yavakrīta at Raibhya’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

यवक्रीतं स हत्वा तु राक्षसो रैभ्यमागमत्‌ | अनुज्ञातस्तु रैभ्येण तया नार्या सहावसत्‌,इस प्रकार यवक्रीतको मारकर राक्षस रैभ्यके पास लौट आया और उनकी अज्ञा ले उस कृत्यास्वरूपा रमणीके साथ उनकी सेवामें रहने लगा

Transliteration

yavakrītaṃ sa hatvā tu rākṣaso raibhyam āgamat | anujñātas tu raibhyena tayā nāryā sahāvasat |

Translation

Nachdem der Rākṣasa Yavakrīta erschlagen hatte, kehrte er zu Raibhya zurück. Mit Raibhyas Erlaubnis blieb er dort zusammen mit jener Frau—die als magisches Werkzeug erschaffen worden war—und diente in Raibhyas Haus.

Word by Word

• यवक्रीतम्: Yavakrīta (as object)
• यवक्रीतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवक्रीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हत्वा: having killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active, Non-finite

• तु: but/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राक्षसः: the demon (Rākṣasa)
• राक्षसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रैभ्यम्: to/unto Raibhya (as object of motion)
• रैभ्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैभ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आगमत्: came/returned
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) उपसर्ग: आ-
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अनुज्ञातः: having been permitted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुज्ञा (धातु: ज्ञा with anu-) / कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रैभ्येण: by Raibhya
• रैभ्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैभ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तया: with her/by her
• तया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• नार्या: with the woman
• नार्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• अवसत्: dwelt/stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु) उपसर्ग: अव-
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yavakrīta
• Rākṣasa
• Raibhya
• Nārī (the woman; kṛtyā in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical danger of vengeance and the misuse of extraordinary powers: even when an enemy is destroyed, the agents and instruments of harm remain bound to the cycle of wrongdoing, creating further moral complications rather than re-establishing dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After killing Yavakrīta, the rākṣasa goes back to the sage Raibhya. With Raibhya’s consent, he stays there along with the woman associated with the act (understood in context as the kṛtyā-like magical creation), remaining in Raibhya’s service.