Shloka 14

युद्धलक्षण-निमित्तदर्शनं तथा लङ्काद्वारव्यूहः

War Omens and the Encirclement of Lanka’s Gates

Devanagari script

मेघाःक्रवादसङ्काशाःपरुषाःपरुषस्वनाः ।क्रूराःक्रूरंप्रवर्षन्तिमिश्रंशोणितबिन्दुभिः ।।6.41.14।।

Transliteration

meghāḥ kravāda-saṅkāśāḥ paruṣāḥ paruṣa-svanāḥ |

krūrāḥ krūraṃ pravarṣanti miśraṃ śoṇita-bindubhiḥ ||6.41.14||

Translation

Die Wolken, gleich fleischfressenden Vögeln, rau und rau im Klang, lassen einen grausigen Regen niedergehen, vermischt mit Blutstropfen.

Word by Word

• meghāḥ: clouds
• meghāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: megha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• kravāda-saṅkāśāḥ: resembling flesh-eaters (carrion birds)
• kravāda-saṅkāśāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kravāda (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘kravādavat saṅkāśaḥ’; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective of ‘meghāḥ’

• paruṣāḥ: harsh
• paruṣāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective of ‘meghāḥ’

• paruṣa-svanāḥ: having harsh sound
• paruṣa-svanāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + svana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘paruṣaḥ svanaḥ yeṣām’; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective of ‘meghāḥ’

• krūrāḥ: cruel/fierce
• krūrāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective of ‘meghāḥ’

• krūram: cruel/terrible (thing)
• krūram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; used adverbially as object-content of raining

• pravarṣanti: rain down
• pravarṣanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Plural

• miśram: mixed
• miśram: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: miśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with implied ‘varṣam/dravyaṃ’ (what is rained)

• śoṇita-bindubhiḥ: with drops of blood
• śoṇita-bindubhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoṇita (प्रातिपदिक) + bindu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘śoṇitasya bindavaḥ’; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

Context

"The winds are blowing severely, the earth is quaking in, the mountain peaks are shaking, and the elephants bearing the earth (in the four corners) are falling."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: omens symbolically mirror bloodshed, reminding leaders to pursue only righteous conflict and minimize harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma continues listing inauspicious portents—nature itself appears to foretell slaughter.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral awareness—Rāma does not ignore signs that highlight the suffering war brings.