Shloka 17

कबन्धवधः

The Severing of Kabandha’s Arms and the Opening of Dialogue

Devanagari script

स्वागतं वां नरव्याघ्रौ दिष्ट्या पश्यामि चाप्यहम्।दिष्ट्या चेमौ निकृत्तौ मे युवाभ्यां बाहुबन्धनौ।।।।

Transliteration

svāgataṃ vāṃ naravyāghrau diṣṭyā paśyāmi cāpy aham | diṣṭyā cemau nikṛttau me yuvābhyāṃ bāhubandhanau ||

Translation

Willkommen euch beiden, o Tiger unter den Menschen. Durch glückliche Fügung erblicke ich euch, und durch ebendiese Fügung sind meine fesselnden Arme von euch abgetrennt worden.

Word by Word

• svāgatam: welcome
• svāgatam: Vākyārtha (वाक्यार्थ/predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-āgata (कृदन्त, √gam; समास)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; used as greeting (predicate)

• vām: to you two
• vām: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 2nd person pronoun, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Dual

• nara-vyāghrau: O tigers among men (you two)
• nara-vyāghrau: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Dual; address

• diṣṭyā: by good luck
• diṣṭyā: Hetu (हेतु; adverbial cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: diṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental used adverbially (तृतीया-अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग), meaning ‘by good fortune’

• paśyāmi: I see
• paśyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Parasmaipada, 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अपि; also/even)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 1st person pronoun, Nominative (1st), Singular

• diṣṭyā: by good fortune
• diṣṭyā: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: diṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental used adverbially

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• imau: these two
• imau: Karta (कर्ता; subject of implied ‘are’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Dual

• nikṛttau: cut off
• nikṛttau: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nikṛtta (कृdन्त, √kṛt with ni-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Dual; predicate adjective of imau

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th), Singular

• yuvābhyām: by you two
• yuvābhyām: Karta (कर्ता; agent in passive sense ‘cut off by you two’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd), Dual

• bāhu-bandhanau: (my) arm-bonds
• bāhu-bandhanau: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu + bandhana (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Dual; apposition to imau; ‘arm-bonds’ (bonds in the form of arms)

Context

Then the agitated brothers, aware of time and space, quickly pulled out their swords and cut off both his arms from the shoulders.

Characters & Entities

• Kabandha
• Rama
• Lakshmana

FAQs

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

Dharma can restore order even through force when it is righteous and purifying; the aggressor’s stance shifts to gratitude when adharma is cut down.

What is the narrative situation?

After his arms are severed, Kabandha’s tone changes; he welcomes the brothers and acknowledges their act as fortunate.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama and Lakshmana’s righteous strength—capable of subduing harm and enabling moral transformation.