Shloka 155

कुम्भकर्णवधः

The Slaying of Kumbhakarna

Devanagari script

स वारिधाराइवसायकास्तान् पिबन् शरीरेणमहेन्द्रशत्रुः ।जघानरामस्यशरप्रवेगंव्याविध्यतंमुग्रवेगम् ।।।।

Transliteration

sa vāridhārā iva sāyakās tān piban śarīreṇa mahendraśatruḥ | jaghāna rāmasya śarapravēgaṃ vyāvidhya taṃ mudgaravegam ||

Translation

Wie Regengüsse in Strömen «trank» er jene Pfeile in seinen Leib; dann schlug der Feind Mahendras, die Keule wirbelnd, um den Ansturm von Rāmas Pfeilflug mit der stürmischen Wucht seines Streitkolbens zu hemmen.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vāridhārāḥ: water-streams
• vāridhārāḥ: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāri + dhārā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः (वारिणः धाराः = streams of water)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (like/as)

• sāyakān: arrows
• sāyakān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• piban: drinking
• piban: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि; (drinking)

• śarīreṇa: with (his) body
• śarīreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• mahendraśatruḥ: enemy of Mahendra (Indra)
• mahendraśatruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahendra + śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः (महेन्द्रस्य शत्रुः)

• jaghāna: struck/checked
• jaghāna: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• rāmasya: of Rāma
• rāmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• śara-pravegam: the rush of arrows
• śara-pravegam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara + pravega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः (शराणां प्रवेगः)

• vyāvidhyatam: whirling
• vyāvidhyatam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + ā + √vidh/√vyadh (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शानच्/शतृ-प्राय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of mudgaram: whirling)

• mudgaraḥ: the club
• mudgaraḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ugravegam: of fierce speed
• ugravegam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of implied mudgaram as object/means)

Context

The enemy of Lord Indra drank the arrows through his body and hurled his club at great speed whirling it round and round arrested the arrows of Rama.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhakarṇa
• Rāma
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Mudgara (club/mace)

FAQs

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

The verse underscores the reality of resistance in righteous struggle: dharma is not validated by ease but by persistence and right intention even when opposition is formidable.

What is the narrative situation?

Kumbhakarṇa absorbs Rāma’s arrows and counters by whirling and driving his club to blunt or arrest the momentum of Rāma’s attack.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The demanded virtue is steadfastness under setback—continuing the dharmic fight despite an apparently invulnerable foe.