Shloka 4

विभीषणोपदेशः

Vibhīṣaṇa’s Counsel to Rāvaṇa and the Rākṣasa Court

Devanagari script

यावन्नगृह्णन्तिशिरांसिबाणारामेरिताराक्षसपुङ्गवानाम् ।वज्रोपमावायुसमानवेगाःप्रदीयतांदाशरथायमैथिली ।।।।

Transliteration

yāvan na gṛhṇanti śirāṃsi bāṇā rāmēritā rākṣasapuṅgavānām | vajropamā vāyusamānavegāḥ pradīyatāṃ dāśarathāya maithilī ||

Translation

Ehe Rāmas Pfeile — dem Donnerkeil gleich und windesschnell — beginnen, die Häupter der vornehmsten Rākṣasas zu rauben, werde Maithilī dem Rāma, dem Sohn Daśarathas, übergeben.

Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as / until
• yāvat: अधिकरण (कालाधिकरण; temporal limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक; यावत्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; काल/परिमाणवाचक-सम्बन्धसूचक (temporal/limit marker: 'as long as, until')

• na: not
• na: सम्बन्ध (निषेध; negation of action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय; न)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• gṛhṇanti: take / seize / carry off
• gṛhṇanti: क्रिया (main verb: 'take/seize')
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु; ग्रह्)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; बहुवचनम् (3rd person plural)

• śirāṃsi: heads
• śirāṃsi: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक; शिरस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (accusative plural; object)

• bāṇāḥ: arrows
• bāṇāḥ: कर्ता (agent/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक; बाण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (nominative plural; subject)

• rāma-īritāḥ: impelled/released by Rama
• rāma-īritāḥ: कर्ता-विशेषण (qualifier of agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāma + īrita (प्रातिपदिक; राम + ईरित [√ईर्/ईरय् ‘to set in motion, send’] क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (agent/possessor relation: 'by/impelled by Rāma'); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषणम्; पुंलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (agreeing with बाणाः)

• rākṣasa-puṅgavānām: of the leaders/chiefs of the Rakshasas
• rākṣasa-puṅgavānām: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation with शिरांसि: 'heads of...')
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa + puṅgava (प्रातिपदिक; राक्षस + पुङ्गव)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (determinative: 'leaders among rākṣasas'); पुंलिङ्गम्; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (genitive plural: 'of the leaders')

• vajra-upamāḥ: thunderbolt-like
• vajra-upamāḥ: कर्ता-विशेषण (qualifier of agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vajra + upamā (प्रातिपदिक; वज्र + उपमा)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः ('thunderbolt-like'); पुंलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (agreeing with बाणाः)

• vāyu-samāna-vegāḥ: having speed equal to the wind
• vāyu-samāna-vegāḥ: कर्ता-विशेषण (qualifier of agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāyu + samāna + vega (प्रातिपदिक; वायु + समान + वेग)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (descriptive: 'having speed equal to the wind'); पुंलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (agreeing with बाणाः)

• pradīyatām: let (her) be given / hand over
• pradīyatām: क्रिया (injunctive: command/request)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + dā (धातु; प्र + दा)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative/benedictive sense); आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम् (3rd person singular: 'let it be given/handed over')

• dāśarathāya: to the son of Dasaratha (Rama)
• dāśarathāya: सम्प्रदान (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāśarathi (प्रातिपदिक; दाशरथि ‘son of Daśaratha’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (dative singular: recipient)

• maithilī: Maithili (Sita)
• maithilī: कर्म (in passive construction: patient/thing to be given)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maithilī (प्रातिपदिक; मैथिली)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (nominative singular; subject of passive/imperative)

Context

"One who is a minister should advice after ascertaining the strength of the foe and his own strength so also one's own growth (in strength) and fall in strength (of foe) and advice that which is conducive to the king's welfare."।।ityārṣēvālmīkīyēśrīmadrāmāyaṇēādikāvyēyuddhakāṇḍēcaturdasassargaḥ।।This is the end of the fourteenth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā (Maithilī)
• Rākṣasa leaders
• Arrows (bāṇa)

FAQs

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

Dharma is prevention of needless destruction: choose restitution and peace over pride, before adharma brings catastrophic results.

What is the narrative situation?

Vibhīṣaṇa warns that once Rāma attacks, rākṣasa leaders will be slain; therefore Sītā should be returned immediately.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prudence joined to truthfulness—speaking hard truths for the ruler’s welfare.