Shloka 23

आरण्यकाण्डे चतुस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Śūrpaṇakhā Reports to Rāvaṇa; Rāma’s Might and Sītā’s Description

Devanagari script

कुरु प्रियं तथा तेषां रक्षसां राक्षसेश्वर।वधात्तस्य नृशंसस्य रामस्याश्रमवासिनः।।।।

Transliteration

kuru priyaṁ tathā teṣāṁ rakṣasāṁ rākṣaseśvara |

vadhāt tasya nṛśaṁsasya rāmasyāśramavāsinaḥ ||

Translation

O Herr der Rākṣasas, erweise deinem Geschlecht einen «Dienst»: töte jenen Rāma, den Bewohner des Āśrama, den sie als grausam brandmarkt.

Word by Word

• कुरु: do, make
• कुरु: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• प्रियम्: what is pleasing / a favor
• प्रियम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of कुरु

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: adverb

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; pronoun

• रक्षसाम्: of the demons
• रक्षसाम्: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana

• राक्षस-ईश्वर: O lord of demons
• राक्षस-ईश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa ‘lord of demons’

• वधात्: by killing
• वधात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; apādāna/hetu: ‘by/through killing’

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• नृ-शंसस्य: cruel
• नृ-शंसस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nṛ + śaṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of रामस्य; tatpuruṣa in sense ‘cruel to men’

• रामस्य: of Rama
• रामस्य: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• आश्रम-वासिनः: dwelling in the hermitage
• आश्रम-वासिनः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of रामस्य; ‘dwelling in a hermitage’

Context

O lord of the demons, do a favour to your clan by killing that cruel Rama dwelling in the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rākṣasas (rakṣas)
• Hermitage (āśrama)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

It illustrates inversion of dharma: calling violence a ‘favour’ to one’s group. The Ramayana critiques clan-loyalty used to justify unjust killing, especially of an āśrama-dweller.

What is the narrative situation?

Śūrpaṇakhā urges Rāvaṇa to murder Rāma as retaliation and as supposed benefit to the Rākṣasa clan.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is protection of the innocent and reverence for āśrama life—values threatened by the proposed act.