Shloka 9

युद्धलक्षण-निमित्तदर्शनं तथा लङ्काद्वारव्यूहः

War Omens and the Encirclement of Lanka’s Gates

Devanagari script

तमेवंवादिनंरामंसुग्रीवःप्रत्यभाषत ।।6.41.8।।तवभार्यापहर्तारंदृष्टवाराघव रावणम् ।मर्षयामिकथंवीरजानपौरुषमात्मनः ।।6.41.9।।

Transliteration

tava bhāryāpahartāraṃ dṛṣṭvā rāghava rāvaṇam |

marṣayāmi kathaṃ vīra jānan pauruṣam ātmanaḥ ||6.41.9||

Translation

O Rāghava, du Held—da ich Rāvaṇa, den Entführer deiner Gemahlin, erblickt habe: Wie könnte ich es ertragen, da ich meine eigene Manneskraft kenne?

Word by Word

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; pronoun, Genitive singular

• भार्या-अपहर्तारम्: abductor of (your) wife
• भार्या-अपहर्तारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक) + apahartṛ (प्रातिपदिक; apa-√hṛ धातोः तृ-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भार्यायाः अपहर्ता); पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (gerund/absolutive); having seen

• राघव: O Raghava
• राघव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• रावणम्: Ravana
• रावणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• मर्षयामि: I tolerate, I endure
• मर्षयामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛṣ (मृष् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; present, 1st person singular; parasmaipada

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; interrogative adverb (प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय)

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• जानन्: knowing
• जानन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agreeing with implied subject ‘अहम्’

• पौरुषम्: manliness, valor
• पौरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pauruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• आत्मनः: of myself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

Context

To Rama who was speaking in that manner, Sugriva replied, "Heroic Rama! Seeing that Ravana, who has borne away your consort, and knowing my own strength, how can I tolerate?"

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma of friendship and alliance: Sugrīva frames action against injustice as a duty—one should not passively tolerate wrongdoing against a righteous friend.

What is the narrative situation?

Sugrīva responds to Rāma, expressing that after seeing Rāvaṇa—the offender—he cannot remain patient and is driven to act.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Loyalty and protective resolve: Sugrīva’s commitment to Rāma’s cause is expressed as both moral obligation and personal valor.