Shloka 8

प्रहस्तनिर्याणम्

Prahasta’s Departure and the Muster of the Rakshasa Host

Devanagari script

निर्याणायादेवतेनूनंचपलाहरिवाहिनी ।।।।नर्दतांराक्षसेन्द्राणांश्रुत्वानादंद्रविष्यति ।

Transliteration

niryāṇāyād eva te nūnaṁ capalā hari-vāhinī | nardatāṁ rākṣasendrāṇāṁ śrutvā nādaṁ draviṣyati ||6.57.8||

Translation

Sobald du ausziehst, wird das unruhige Vānara-Heer gewiss fliehen, wenn es den Lärm und das Brüllen der Rākṣasa-Herren vernimmt.

Word by Word

• निर्याणाय: for marching out
• निर्याणाय: Sampradana/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्याण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular): प्रयोजन (purpose)

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb): "today/now"

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle): "indeed/just"

• ते: of you
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular): "of you"

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Nishcaya (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of certainty): "surely"

• चपला: fickle; unsteady
• चपला: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चपल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हरिवाहिनी: the Vanara army
• हरिवाहिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिवाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpurusha): हरिणां वाहिनी

• नर्दताम्: of the roaring (ones)
• नर्दताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्दत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) "नर्दत्"; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural): "of those roaring"

• राक्षसेन्द्राणाम्: of the lords of Rakshasas
• राक्षसेन्द्राणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: राक्षसानाम् इन्द्राः

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): "having heard"

• नादम्: sound; roar
• नादम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्रविष्यति: will run away
• द्रविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Context

"Vanaras, who are fickle minded, undisciplined and volatile, will not endure the roar of lions of glowing Rakshasas."

Characters & Entities

• Vānaras

FAQs

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

It warns implicitly against arrogance: assuming the opponent will collapse from fear can distort judgment; dharma requires clear seeing (viveka) rather than pride-driven certainty.

What is the narrative situation?

A leader motivates a commander by predicting that the enemy will panic and flee upon hearing the rākṣasa battle-roar.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not virtue but a flaw is foregrounded: overconfidence, which the epic often treats as a cause of downfall.