Shloka 25

मायाशिरोप्रदर्शनम्

The Display of the Illusory Head of Rāma

Devanagari script

विभीषणस्समुत्पत्यनिगृहीतोयदृच्छया ।दिशःप्रव्राजितस्सर्वैस्सर्लक्ष्मणःप्लवगैस्सहा ।।।।

Transliteration

vibhīṣaṇaḥ samutpatya nigṛhīto yadṛcchayā | diśaḥ pravrājitaḥ sarvaiḥ sa lakṣmaṇaḥ plavagaiḥ sahā ||

Translation

Als Vibhīṣaṇa aufsprang, wurde er unerwartet ergriffen; und Lakṣmaṇa – zusammen mit den Vānara-Heeren – wurde in alle Richtungen zerstreut.

Word by Word

• vibhīṣaṇaḥ: Vibhishana
• vibhīṣaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhīṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• samutpatya: having sprung up
• samutpatya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ut-√pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), उपसर्गौ: सम् + उत्; अर्थ: ‘समुत्थाय/उत्प्लुत्य’ (having sprung up)

• nigṛhītaḥ: was seized/held
• nigṛhītaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle: seized/held), ‘नि’ उपसर्ग; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yadṛcchayā: by chance
• yadṛcchayā: Hetu/Nimitta (हेतु/निमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे (idiomatic: ‘by chance’)

• diśaḥ: directions
• diśaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• pravrājitaḥ: was driven away/fled
• pravrājitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vraj (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle: driven away/caused to flee), ‘प्र’ उपसर्ग; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarvaiḥ: by all (of them)
• sarvaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural); ‘all (of them)’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to ‘saḥ’

• plavagaiḥ: with the monkeys (Vanaras)
• plavagaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plavaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• sahā: together with
• sahā: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (indeclinable ‘with’), तृतीया-सहयोगे (used with instrumental)

Context

"O Sita! Vanara Lord Sugriva with his neck broken, Hanuman with chin broken were killed by Rakshasas and are lying down fallen on the ground."

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Lakṣmaṇa
• vānara-s (plavaga-s)

FAQs

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

It implicitly warns that reports in war can be framed to demoralize; dharma demands discernment and commitment to truth (satya) before acting.

What is the narrative situation?

A rākṣasa-side narration claims Vibhīṣaṇa was captured and Lakṣmaṇa with the vānara army fled—part of a larger attempt to portray Rāma’s side as collapsing.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vibhīṣaṇa’s steadfast alignment with dharma is highlighted indirectly—his presence on Rāma’s side makes him a target of hostile propaganda.