Shloka 8

वानरमुख्य-परिचयः

Catalogue of Principal Vānara Leaders

Devanagari script

एषांवानरमुख्यानांकेशूराःकेमहाबलाः ।केपूर्वमभिवर्तन्तेमहोत्साहास्समन्ततः ।।।।

Transliteration

eṣāṃ vānara-mukhyānāṃ ke śūrāḥ ke mahā-balāḥ | ke pūrvam abhivartante mahotsāhāḥ samantataḥ ||

Translation

Unter diesen erstrangigen Vānara-Führern: wer sind die wahrhaft Tapferen, wer die von großer Kraft und höchstem Eifer? Und wer von ihnen kann als ebenbürtig denen gelten, die sich zuvor in der Schlacht bewährt haben? Nenne sie mir in rechter Reihenfolge.

Word by Word

• एषाम्: of these / among them
• एषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitival)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम

• वानर-मुख्यानाम्: of the foremost vanaras
• वानर-मुख्यानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitival)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वानराणां मुख्या: = leaders among monkeys)

• के: who? (which ones?)
• के: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; interrogative pronoun

• शूराः: valiant
• शूराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• के: who?
• के: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; interrogative pronoun

• महाबलाः: very strong / mighty
• महाबलाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् बलं यस्य/ये)

• के: who?
• के: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; interrogative pronoun

• पूर्वम्: first / earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अभिवर्तन्ते: advance/come forward
• अभिवर्तन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महोत्साहाः: high-spirited / very energetic
• महोत्साहाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• समन्ततः: on all sides / all around
• समन्ततः: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Context

"Who among the Vanaras is foremost, who is valiant, strong in prowess and most energetic? Who are their equals in the earlier war, you may tell in order?"

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sāraṇa
• Vānara leaders

FAQs

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

Even in war, sound judgment requires truthful assessment of opponents; seeking an ordered, accurate account aligns with satya (truthfulness) as a basis for responsible action.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa questions Sāraṇa to identify the most prominent and powerful Vānara leaders and their proven equals, as the armies face each other.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Strategic discernment grounded in truth—wanting clear, ordered information before deciding a course of action.