Shloka 16

शुकसारणनिग्रहः / Ravana Rebukes Suka and Sārana; Spies Reconnoiter Rama’s Camp

Devanagari script

अब्रवीत्सदशग्रीव: समीपस्थंमहोदरम् ।उपस्तापयमेशीघ्रंचारान्नीतिविशारदान् ।।।।

Transliteration

abravīt sa daśagrīvaḥ samīpasthaṃ mahodaram | upasthāpaya me śīghraṃ cārān nīti-viśāradān ||

Translation

Da sprach Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa) zu dem nahe stehenden Mahodara: „Bringe mir schnell Späher, die in Staatskunst und kluger Politik bewandert sind.“

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स: he
• स: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; सर्वनाम

• दशग्रीवः: Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (दश ग्रीवाः यस्य = ten-necked/ten-headed); प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• समीपस्थम्: standing nearby
• समीपस्थम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समीपे स्थितः); द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषणम् महोदरम्-सम्बद्धम्

• महोदरम्: Mahodara
• महोदरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (व्यक्तिनाम/Proper noun)

• उपस्तापय: bring/present
• उपस्तापय: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: cause to be brought/present)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Avyaya (अव्यय/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• चारान्: spies
• चारान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• नीतिविशारदान्: skilled in policy
• नीतिविशारदान्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीति + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नीतौ विशारदाः = skilled in policy); द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषणम् चारान्-सम्बद्धम्

Context

Ravana, the tenheaded one, then said to Mahodara who was standing nearby swiftly bring spies who are experts in policy to me.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Mahodara
• Spies (cāra)

FAQs

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

It underscores the ruler’s duty to act with informed judgment; intelligence-gathering is ethically neutral but becomes dharmic or adharmic depending on the purpose it serves.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa initiates an intelligence operation, instructing Mahodara to summon skilled spies.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Strategic prudence (nīti): the capacity to seek information before acting—though here it is employed for an unrighteous war.