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Shloka 14

अतिकायवधश्रवणं रावणस्य लङ्कारक्षाविधानम्

Ravana’s Reaction to Atikaya’s Death and the Fortification Orders for Lanka

प्रदोषेवार्धरात्रेवाप्रत्यूषेवापिसर्वत ।।।।नावज्ञातेषुकर्तव्यावानरेषुकदाचन ।द्विषतांबलमुद्युक्तमापतकतिंस्थितंसदा ।।।।

pradoṣe vārdharātre vā pratyuṣe vāpi sarvataḥ | nāvajñā teṣu kartavyā vānar eṣu kadācana || dviṣatāṃ balam udyuktaṃ āpatatiṃ sthitaṃ sadā ||

Ob in der Abenddämmerung, um Mitternacht oder im Morgengrauen—zu jeder Zeit und überall—darf es niemals Nachlässigkeit gegenüber den Vānaras geben. Das feindliche Heer soll stets gerüstet sein, ob es die Stellung hält oder ausrückt, um den Ansturm abzufangen.

pradoṣein the evening
pradoṣe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootpradoṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
or
:
Vikalpa (विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; disjunctive particle (विकल्प)
ardharātreat midnight
ardharātre:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootardharātra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
or
:
Vikalpa (विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; disjunctive particle
pratyūṣeat dawn
pratyūṣe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootpratyūṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
or
:
Vikalpa (विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; disjunctive particle
apialso/even
api:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle
sarvataḥat all times/everywhere
sarvataḥ:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsarvatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyaya; adverb (direction/time: 'in every way/always')
nanot
na:
Nishedha (निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; negation particle (निषेध)
avajñādisrespect/neglect
avajñā:
Karma (कर्म) (as thing to be done/avoided)
TypeNoun
Rootavajñā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular; used in prohibition sense
teṣutowards them
teṣu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural
kartavyāshould be done (i.e., should be shown)
kartavyā:
Vidhi (विधि/कर्तव्यता)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (धातु) (कृत्य-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGerundive (तव्यत्/कृत्य), Feminine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with avajñā; passive obligation
vānareṣutowards the Vanaras
vānareṣu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootvānara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
kadācanaever/at any time
kadācana:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkadācana (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; temporal adverb (emphatic: ever/at any time)
dviṣatāmof enemies
dviṣatām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootdviṣat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural; 'of enemies'
balamarmy/force
balam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Nominative, Singular
udyuktamready/engaged
udyuktam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootud-√yuj (धातु) (भूतकृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Napumsaka, Nominative, Singular; qualifying balam
āpatatadvances/comes upon
āpatat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√pat (धातु) + ā- (उपसर्ग)
FormPresent (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; (or imperfect in some recensions)
katimhow far/what distance
katim:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (परिमाण)
TypeNoun
Rootkati (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular; adverbial accusative of extent (परिमाण)
sthitamstationed
sthitam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√sthā (धातु) (भूतकृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Napumsaka, Nominative, Singular; qualifying balam
sadāalways
sadā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsadā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb (nitya/always)

" At all times, whether it is evening or midnight or early morning, Vanaras movements are to be watched by the army without indifference. Indeed, the army should be active or inactive, standing, advancing constantly and staying wherever they are."

R
Rāvaṇa
V
Vānaras
R
Rākṣasa army (hostile force)

FAQs

A key dharmic lesson is apramāda (non-negligence): duty requires steady alertness across changing times and conditions.

Rāvaṇa instructs his forces that surveillance and readiness must be maintained continuously—dusk, midnight, and dawn—so the Vānaras cannot exploit a lapse.

Readiness and constancy—remaining prepared without underestimating the opponent.