Shloka 26

लङ्कानिरीक्षणं व्यूहविन्यासश्च

Survey of Lanka and Deployment of the Battle Formation

Devanagari script

रावणःप्रहसन्नेवशुकंवाक्यमुवाचह ।।6.24.25।।किमिमौतेसितौपक्षौलूनपक्षश्चदृश्यसे ।कच्चिन्नानेकचित्तानांतेषांत्वंवशमागतः ।।6.24.26।।

Transliteration

rāvaṇaḥ prahasann eva śukaṃ vākyam uvāca ha |

kim imau te sitau pakṣau lūnapakṣaś ca dṛśyase |

kaccin nānaikacittānāṃ teṣāṃ tvaṃ vaśam āgataḥ ||

Translation

Lachend sprach Ravana zu Shuka: „Warum sind deine Flügel gefesselt? Du siehst aus, als wären dir die Flügel gestutzt worden. Bist du etwa unter die Gewalt dieser wankelmütigen Vanaras geraten?“

Word by Word

• kim: why?/what?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• imau: these two
• imau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; ‘pakṣau’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sitau: white
• sitau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; ‘pakṣau’ इति विशेषणम्

• pakṣau: wings
• pakṣau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• lūna-pakṣaḥ: one whose wings are clipped
• lūna-pakṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lūna (√lū, धातु) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘lūnaḥ pakṣaḥ yasya saḥ’ इत्यर्थे बहुव्रीह्यर्थेऽपि प्रयोगः); ‘tvaṃ’ इति विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dṛśyase: you appear/are seen
• dṛśyase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (you are seen/appear)

• kaccit: surely?/I hope
• kaccit: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/प्रश्नार्थक निपात (particle: ‘I hope/Is it the case?’)

• nānā-eka-cittānām: of the fickle-minded (many-minded)
• nānā-eka-cittānām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (नानाविधं/अनेकं चित्तं येषां ते); ‘teṣām’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vaśam: control/power
• vaśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• āgataḥ: have come/entered (fallen into)
• āgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययः) परस्मैपदीयार्थे; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘tvam’ इत्यस्य विधेय (predicate)

Context

Laughing at Suka, Ravana spoke these words. "Why are your wings fastened? Your wings have been clipped, it appears!. I suppose you have not fallen under the clutches of the fickle minded Vanaras!"

Characters & Entities

• Ravana
• Suka
• Vanaras

FAQs

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

A dharmic ruler listens carefully to messengers; contempt and suspicion obstruct truthful reporting (satya) and wise decision-making.

What is the narrative situation?

This repeats Rāvaṇa’s taunting question to Śuka upon his return.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negatively, Rāvaṇa’s arrogance and failure of ethical statecraft.