Shloka 91

रावणस्य अन्त्येष्टिः

Ravana’s Funeral Rites and the Ethics of Post-War Conduct

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नन्तरेरामोविभीषणमुवाच ह ।।।।संस्कारःक्रियतांभ्रातुःस्त्रीगणःपरिसान्त्व्यताम् ।

Transliteration

etasminn antare rāmo vibhīṣaṇam uvāca ha |

saṁskāraḥ kriyatāṁ bhrātuḥ strīgaṇaḥ parisāntvyatām ||

Translation

Unterdessen sprach Rāma zu Vibhīṣaṇa: „Die Totenriten für deinen Bruder sollen vollzogen werden, und die Frauen sollen getröstet und beruhigt werden.“

Word by Word

• etasmin: in this
• etasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• antare: in the interval / meanwhile
• antare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); adverbial-locative usage

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vibhīṣaṇam: Vibhishana (to)
• vibhīṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhīṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said / spoke
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• ha: indeed / (emphatic)
• ha: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), narrative emphasis

• saṃskāraḥ: funeral rites / obsequies
• saṃskāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of passive verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃskāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kriyatām: let (it) be done
• kriyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद); passive sense (कर्मणि प्रयोग)

• bhrātuḥ: of (my/your) brother
• bhrātuḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• strīgaṇaḥ: the group of women
• strīgaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of passive verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: strīṇāṃ gaṇaḥ

• parisāntvyatām: let (them) be consoled
• parisāntvyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + sāntv (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद); passive sense (कर्मणि)

Context

Thereafter, Rama spoke to Vibheeshana like this." Let the obsequies be carried out and all the women comforted."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāvaṇa (as ‘brother’ to Vibhīṣaṇa)

FAQs

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

Even a fallen enemy deserves proper rites; Dharma and Satya uphold dignity, social order, and compassion beyond hatred.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rāvaṇa’s death, Rāma instructs Vibhīṣaṇa to perform the brother’s last rites and console the bereaved women.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s magnanimity and adherence to rājadharma—victory does not cancel humane duty.