Shloka 15

Devanagari script

मृत्युदण्डमहाग्राहंशाल्मलिद्रुममण्डितम् ।कालपाशमहावीचिंयमकिंकरपन्नगम् ।।।।महाज्वरेणदुर्धर्षंयमलोकमहार्णवम् ।अवगाह्यत्वयाराजन्यमस्यबलसागरम् ।।।।जयश्चविपुलःप्राप्तोमृत्युश्चप्रतिषेधितः ।सुयुद्धेनचतेसर्वेलोकास्तत्रसुतोषिताः ।।।।

Transliteration

mṛtyudaṇḍa-mahāgrāhaṃ śālmalidrumamaṇḍitam | kālapāśa-mahāvīciṃ yamakinkara-pannagam ||

Translation

Du drangst ein in jenes ozeangleiche Reich Yamas: Dort war der Stab des Todes wie ein ungeheures Krokodil; Śālmalī-Bäume standen als düstere Zier; die Schlinge der Zeit erhob sich wie eine gewaltige Woge; und Yamas Diener wimmelten wie Schlangen.

Word by Word

• मृत्यु-दण्ड-महा-ग्राहम्: a huge ‘crocodile’ of death’s rod
• मृत्यु-दण्ड-महा-ग्राहम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — descriptive object (metaphor)

• शाल्मलि-द्रुम-मण्डितम्: adorned with śālmalī trees
• शाल्मलि-द्रुम-मण्डितम्: विशेषण (Karma-viśeṣaṇa/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाल्मलि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — adjective qualifying (implicit) महारणवम्/समुद्र-रूपक; ‘adorned with śālmalī trees’

• काल-पाश-महा-वीचिम्: a great wave of Time’s noose
• काल-पाश-महा-वीचिम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘great wave of Time’s noose’ (metaphor)

• यम-किंकर-पन्नगम्: serpents (as) Yama’s attendants
• यम-किंकर-पन्नगम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘serpents as Yama’s attendants’ (metaphor)

Context

"Oh! King! Plunging into the ocean, which was in the shape of Yama's realm, with an enormous alligator in the form of rod of death, adorned with Salmali trees, turbulent with a huge wave in the form of Death 's noose, infested with Lord of Death's attendants as serpents, unassailable on account of the mighty Jwara (spirit of fever), you have obtained a great victory over the Lord of Death 's great army and the army was warded off. By your good battle all the people (of the world) were delighted.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Yama
• Śālmalī (tree)

FAQs

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

The verse warns implicitly about hubris: even if one claims to ‘enter Yama’s realm’ and return, dharma teaches humility before cosmic order (kāla) and moral law.

What is the narrative situation?

A court speaker magnifies Rāvaṇa’s earlier exploits using dense metaphor to argue that he is invincible.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Fearlessness in the face of death—though framed as boastful prowess rather than dharmic courage.