Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 47, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

रावणोऽकारयल्लङ्कांपताकाध्वजमालिनीम् ।।।।प्राघोषयतहृष्टश्चलङ्कायांराक्षसेश्वरः ।राघवोलक्ष्मणश्चैवहताविन्द्रजितारणे ।।।।

Transliteration

rāvaṇo 'kārayal laṅkāṃ patākādhvajamālinīm | prāghoṣayata hṛṣṭaś ca laṅkāyāṃ rākṣaseśvaraḥ | rāghavo lakṣmaṇaś caiva hatāv indrajitā raṇe ||

Translation

Jubelnd ließ Rāvaṇa, der Herr der Rākṣasas, Laṅkā mit Fahnen und Bannern schmücken und ließ in der Stadt ausrufen, Indrajit habe Rāghava und Lakṣmaṇa im Kampf erschlagen.

Word by Word

• रावणः: Ravana
• रावणः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• अकारयत्: caused (to be decorated)
• अकारयत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग: 'caused to be done/made'

• लङ्काम्: Lanka
• लङ्काम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• पताकाध्वजमालिनीम्: adorned with flags and banners
• पताकाध्वजमालिनीम्: कर्म (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पताका + ध्वज + मालिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पताकाः ध्वजाः च तेषां माला यस्याः/यत्र = adorned with garlands/rows of flags and banners); द्वितीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; विशेषणम् to 'लङ्काम्'

• प्राघोषयत्: proclaimed
• प्राघोषयत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-घुष्/घोषय् (धातु; causative)
• Form: लङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-भाव: 'proclaimed/caused to be announced'

• हृष्टः: rejoiced
• हृष्टः: कर्ता (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हृष्)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषणम् to 'राक्षसेश्वरः/रावणः'

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• लङ्कायाम्: in Lanka
• लङ्कायाम्: अधिकरण (Place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• राक्षसेश्वरः: lord of the Rakshasas
• राक्षसेश्वरः: कर्ता (Apposition to Ravana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (राक्षसानाम् ईश्वरः); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवः: कर्ता (within reported content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• लक्ष्मणः: Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणः: कर्ता (within reported content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: indeed
• एव: वाक्यालङ्कार
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• हतौ: killed/slain
• हतौ: कर्ता (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हता (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हन्)
• Form: प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Dual), पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषणम् to 'राघवः लक्ष्मणः' (as a pair)

• इन्द्रजिता: by Indrajit
• इन्द्रजिता: करण (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रजित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्तृकरण-भाव: 'by Indrajit'

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: अधिकरण (Place/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

Context

The Lord of Rakshasas rejoiced and went to Lanka decorated with flags and posts proclaiming that Rama and Lakshmana were killed by Indrajith in war.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Laṅkā
• Indrajit
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Lakṣmaṇa
• banners/flags (patākā, dhvaja)

FAQs

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

It condemns triumph built on falsehood: public proclamation of an untrue victory is adharma, opposing satya which is central to righteous rule.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa celebrates and orders citywide decoration while spreading the claim that Indrajit has killed Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negatively, it highlights the lack of kingly virtue (rāja-dharma) in Rāvaṇa—he uses deception and spectacle rather than truth and justice.