Shloka 18

Bharata’s Austerity at Nandigrāma and Rāma’s Sight of Nandigrāma

Devanagari script

शेष उवाच । लंकेश्वरे विनिहते देवदानवदुःखदे । अप्सरोगणवक्त्राब्जचंद्रमः कांतिहर्तरि

Transliteration

śeṣa uvāca | laṃkeśvare vinihate devadānavaduḥkhade | apsarogaṇavaktrābjacaṃdramaḥ kāṃtihartari

Translation

Śeṣa sprach: Als der Herr von Laṅkā erschlagen wurde, der den Devas und Dānavas Leid brachte, erlosch sein Glanz, der selbst den mondgleichen Lotusgesichtern der Scharen von Apsarās das Licht zu rauben schien.

Word by Word

• śeṣaḥ: Śeṣa
• śeṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• laṅkā-īśvare: in/with regard to the lord of Laṅkā (Rāvaṇa)
• laṅkā-īśvare: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṅkā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लङ्कायाः ईश्वरः)

• vinihate: when (he) had been slain
• vinihate: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-han (धातु) + vi (उपसर्ग) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) with laṅkā-īśvare

• deva-dānava-duḥkha-de: in/when the giver of sorrow to gods and demons (was slain)
• deva-dānava-duḥkha-de: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + dānava (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + da (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (देवदानवानां दुःखदः)

• apsarā-gaṇa-vaktra-abja-candramaḥ: the moon to the lotus-faces of the host of Apsarās (i.e., exceedingly charming one)
• apsarā-gaṇa-vaktra-abja-candramaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक) + abja (प्रातिपदिक) + candramas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अप्सरोगणस्य वक्त्राब्जस्य चन्द्रमाः = ‘moon of the lotus-faces of the Apsarā-host’)

• kānti-hartari: in/with regard to the stealer of beauty (one who outshines others)
• kānti-hartari: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānti (प्रातिपदिक) + hartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुषः (कान्तेः हर्ता)

Speaker

Śeṣa (Ananta)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: laṃkeśvare = laṅkā + īśvare (ā+i→e); apsarogaṇa- = apsarā-gaṇa (ā+g→o by sandhi in IAST representation); vaktrābja = vaktra + abja (a+a→ā); candramaḥ = candramāḥ (nom. sg. candramas stem; written candramaḥ).

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• Laṅkeśvara (Rāvaṇa)
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Apsarases

FAQs

Who is the “laṅkeśvara” mentioned in this verse?

Laṅkeśvara means “lord of Laṅkā” and here refers to Rāvaṇa, the ruler of Laṅkā in the Rāmāyaṇa tradition.

Why does the verse call him “devadānavaduḥkhada” (giver of sorrow to gods and Dānavas)?

It portrays him as a universal oppressor whose actions caused distress across cosmic factions, emphasizing the restoration of order when he is slain.

What ethical lesson is implied by this description?

Tyranny and harm to others—no matter how powerful the perpetrator—ultimately leads to downfall, while dharma is re-established through the removal of such oppression.