Shloka 7

कुम्भकर्णविबोधनम्

The Awakening of Kumbhakarna

Devanagari script

देवदानवगन्धर्वैर्यक्षराक्षसपन्नगैः ।अवध्यत्वंमयाप्राप्तंमानुषेभ्योनयाचितम् ।।।।

Transliteration

deva-dānava-gandharvair yakṣa-rākṣasa-pannagaiḥ | avadhyatvaṃ mayā prāptaṃ mānuṣebhyo na yācitam ||

Translation

Von Devas, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas und Schlangen erlangte ich die Gabe der Unverwundbarkeit; doch vor Menschen erbat ich sie nicht.

Word by Word

• deva-dānava-gandharvaiḥ: by devas, dānavas, and gandharvas
• deva-dānava-gandharvaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrumental: ‘by/against’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + dānava + gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (collective)

• yakṣa-rākṣasa-pannagaiḥ: by yakṣas, rākṣasas, and serpents
• yakṣa-rākṣasa-pannagaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrumental: ‘by/against’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣa + rākṣasa + pannaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः

• avadhyatvam: invulnerability (not being killable)
• avadhyatvam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-vadhya + -tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भाववाचक (state of being unkillable)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता/agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया एकवचन

• prāptam: obtained
• prāptam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘obtained’

• mānuṣebhyaḥ: from humans
• mānuṣebhyaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी बहुवचन; अपादान

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• yācitam: asked for
• yācitam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate, ellipsis)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yāc (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘asked/begged’ (elliptic: ‘was not asked’)

Context

"I sought protection from Devas, Danavas, Gandharvas, Rakshasas and serpents but not asked for protection from humans."

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhakarṇa
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Gandharvas
• Yakṣas
• Rākṣasas
• Pannagas (serpents)
• Humans (mānuṣa)

FAQs

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

The epic underscores moral causality: overlooking the ‘small’ (humans) becomes a decisive vulnerability—pride and incomplete foresight undermine security.

What is the narrative situation?

Kumbhakarṇa recalls (or asserts) the scope of his invulnerability and notes the critical exception regarding humans.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a cautionary trait: overconfidence and misjudgment of where true danger can arise.