Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 56, Shloka 18

अकम्पनवधः — The Slaying of Akampana

Hanuman’s rout of the Rakshasa host

Devanagari script

अकम्पनस्तुतद्दृष्टवागिरिशृङ्गंसमुद्यतम् ।दूरादेवमहाबाणैरर्धचन्द्रैर्व्यदारयत् ।।6.56.18।।

Transliteration

akampanas tu tad dṛṣṭvā giriśṛṅgaṃ samudyatam |

dūrād eva mahābāṇair ardhacandrair vyadārayat ||6.56.18||

Translation

Doch Akampana, als er den erhobenen Berggipfel sah, spaltete ihn aus der Ferne mit großen, halbmondförmigen Pfeilen.

Word by Word

• अकम्पनः: Akampana
• अकम्पनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकम्पन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (contrastive particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गिरीशृङ्गम् इति विशेषण/निर्देश

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); धातु: दृश्; अर्थे: 'having seen'

• गिरिशृङ्गम्: mountain-peak
• गिरिशृङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिशृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक: गिरि + शृङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('peak of a mountain')

• समुद्यतम्: uplifted/raised
• समुद्यतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+उद्+यम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past passive participle) from √यम् with उपसर्ग सम्+उद्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् गिरिशृङ्गम्

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb), क्रियाविशेषण

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• महाबाणैः: with great arrows
• महाबाणैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाण (प्रातिपदिक: महा + बाण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः; करण

• अर्धचन्द्रैः: with crescent(-shaped arrows)
• अर्धचन्द्रैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्धचन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक: अर्ध + चन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ('half-moon shaped')

• व्यदारयत्: split (it)
• व्यदारयत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दॄ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि-; causative not intended; अर्थे: 'split asunder'

Context

Seeing the peak of the mountain uplifted, Akampana also discharged halfmoon shaped great arrows from a distance.

Characters & Entities

• Akampana
• Hanumān
• Giriśṛṅga (mountain-peak)

FAQs

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

It illustrates the reality of conflict: even in a righteous war, opponents respond with force. Dharma here involves preparedness and steadiness, not naïve expectation of non-resistance.

What is the narrative situation?

Akampana counters Hanumān’s raised mountain-peak by shooting it down with crescent-headed arrows from afar.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial skill and tactical distance-fighting (śaurya with astravidyā-like precision using special arrow-forms).