Shloka 12

रावणवधोत्तरं विभीषणशोकः—क्षत्रधर्मोपदेशः

Vibhishana’s Lament after Ravana’s Fall; Instruction on Kshatriya-Dharma

Devanagari script

पराक्रमोत्साहविजृम्भितार्चिर्निःश्वासधूमस्स्वबलप्रतापः ।प्रतापवान्सम्यतिराक्षसाग्निर्विर्वापितोरामपयोधरेण ।।।।

Transliteration

parākramotsāhavijṛmbhitārcir niḥśvāsadhūmas svabalapratāpaḥ |

pratāpavān samyati rākṣasāgnir nirvāpito rāmapayodhareṇa ||

Translation

Das Rakṣasa-Feuer, dessen Flammen Tapferkeit und aufwallender Eifer waren, dessen Rauch die Seufzer, dessen Glut die eigene Kraft—so mächtig es auch war—wurde im Kampf von der Regenwolke, die Rāma war, gelöscht.

Word by Word

• parākrama-utsāha-vijṛmbhita-arciḥ: whose flames are expanded by prowess and zeal
• parākrama-utsāha-vijṛmbhita-arciḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of rākṣasāgniḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parākrama (प्रातिपदिक) + utsāha (प्रातिपदिक) + vijṛmbhita (कृदन्त, √jṛmbh) + arci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा) Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); बहुव्रीहिः—"यस्य पराक्रमोत्साहविजृम्भिताः अर्चिषः"

• niḥśvāsa-dhūmaḥ: whose smoke is (like) sighs
• niḥśvāsa-dhūmaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of rākṣasāgniḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥśvāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhūma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; बहुव्रीहिः—"यस्य निःश्वासाः धूमाः"

• sva-bala-pratāpaḥ: whose heat is his own strength
• sva-bala-pratāpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of rākṣasāgniḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + pratāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; बहुव्रीहिः—"यस्य स्वबलं प्रतापः"

• pratāpavān: mighty, endowed with prowess
• pratāpavān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of rākṣasāgniḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + -vant (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; वन्त-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• samyati: in battle
• samyati: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samyat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Saptamī (Locative/सप्तमी) Ekavacana; अर्थः—समरः/युद्धम्

• rākṣasa-agniḥ: the Rakshasa-fire (i.e., the demon like a fire)
• rākṣasa-agniḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—"राक्षसस्य अग्निः"

• nirvāpitaḥ: extinguished
• nirvāpitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) / Predicative participle
• Type: Verb
• Root: nirvāpita (कृदन्त, √vā (वाप्) with nir-; past passive participle)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Kta (क्त) PPP; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; कर्मणि प्रयोग—"extinguished"

• rāma-payodhareṇa: by the Rama-cloud
• rāma-payodhareṇa: Karaṇa (करण) / Instrument
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + payodhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया) Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—"रामस्य पयोधरः" (cloud in the form of Rama)

Context

"The prowess and exceeding energy of Ravana as flames, his sighs as smoke, his own strength as heat, endowed with might, that fire of Rakshasa has been extinguished by the rainy cloud in the shape of Rama in the battlefield."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa implied)
• Battle (samyati)

FAQs

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

Adharma burns like fire, but dharma—cool, life-giving, and ordered—ultimately extinguishes it; power must be governed by righteousness.

What is the narrative situation?

A poetic summary of Rāvaṇa’s defeat: his destructive ‘fire’ is put out by Rāma likened to a rain-cloud.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s protective strength—bringing relief and order, like rain that ends a consuming blaze.