Shloka 25

हनूमदुपदेशः रावणस्य च कोपः

Hanuman’s Counsel to Ravana and Ravana’s Wrath

Devanagari script

तपस्सन्तापलब्धस्ते योऽयं धर्मपरिग्रहः।न स नाशयितुं न्याय्य आत्मप्राणपरिग्रहः।।।।

Transliteration

tapassantāpalabdhas te yo 'yaṃ dharmaparigrahaḥ | na sa nāśayituṃ nyāyya ātmaprāṇaparigrahaḥ ||

Translation

Diesen Schatz an Dharma, den du durch die Mühsal der Askese errungen hast, darfst du nicht zerstören, indem du dein eigenes Leben aufs Spiel setzt und verlierst.

Word by Word

• तपस्सन्तापलब्धः: obtained through the hardship of austerity
• तपस्सन्तापलब्धः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + लब्ध (लभ्-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः: तपसः सन्तापेन लब्धः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (धर्मपरिग्रहः इति विशेषणम्)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'your'

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative

• धर्मपरिग्रहः: accumulation of righteousness/merit
• धर्मपरिग्रहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः: धर्मस्य परिग्रहः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सः: that (merit)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाशयितुम्: to destroy
• नाशयितुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) + तुमुन् (infinitive); 'to destroy'

• न्याय्यः: proper
• न्याय्यः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/औचित्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्याय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'proper/just'

• आत्मप्राणपरिग्रहः: (involving) one's own life-breath
• आत्मप्राणपरिग्रहः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः: आत्मनः प्राणानां परिग्रहः (or: आत्मप्राणैः परिग्रहः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; sense: 'at the cost of one's own life'

Context

"You have acquired the merit of righteousness by prolonged hardships experienced during your penance. It is not proper to forfeit your own life in this way.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Dharma (merit from tapas)

FAQs

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

Merit earned by disciplined practice should not be squandered by a single grave unrighteous act that endangers one’s life and moral standing.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān advises Rāvaṇa that his past tapas has earned him merit, but persisting in Sītā’s captivity will ruin him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Ethical reasoning in counsel—Hanumān appeals to Rāvaṇa’s self-interest while grounding it in dharma.