Shloka 18
लङ्कादाह-प्रचोदनं तथा वानर-राक्षस-समरारम्भः
The Burning of Lanka and the Outbreak of Battle
नानाविधान्गृहच्छन्दान्धदाहहुतभुक्तदा ।आवासान्राक्षसानां च सर्वेषांगृहगर्थिनाम् ।।6.75.14।।हेमचित्रतनुत्राणस्रग्दामाम्भरधारिणाम् ।शीधुपानचलाक्षाणांमद्विह्वलगामिनाम् ।।6.75.15।।कान्तालम्बितवस्त्राणांशत्रुसञ्जातमन्युनाम् ।गदाशूलासिहस्तानांखादतांपिबतामपि ।।6.75.16।।शयनेषुमहार्हेषुप्रसुप्तानांप्रियैस्सह ।त्रस्तानांगच्छतांतूर्णंपुत्रानादायसर्वतः ।।6.75.17।।तेषांशतसहस्राणितदालङ्कानिवासिनाम् ।अदहत्पावकस्तत्रजज्वाल च पुनःपुनः ।।6.75.18।।
teṣāṃ śatasahasrāṇi tadā laṅkānivāsinām |
adahat pāvakas tatra jajvāla ca punaḥ punaḥ || 6.75.18 ||
Da verbrannte in Laṅkā das Feuer Hunderttausende von Wohnstätten und loderte dort immer wieder aufs Neue auf.
The fire consumed many kinds of wonderful homes of Rakshasas, with loved ones on the best beds, their armour made of gold Rakshasas decked with garland s and best of attire their eyes inebriated with intoxication, shaking while walking slowly, holding their loved ones, seized with anger against enemies, holding mace and tridents in hand, eating, drinking and sleeping on the best beds, fast asleep some out of fear taking their sons going quickly and all of them dwelling there in hundreds and thousands were burning again and again.
FAQs
Karma bears large-scale results: when leadership embraces adharma, the resulting ruin can engulf an entire community.
The conflagration reaches a peak, with the narrator emphasizing the vast scale and repeated flare-ups of the fire across Laṅkā.
The implied virtue is steadfastness in righteous purpose on Rāma’s side: the narrative frames the catastrophe as the turning point against unrighteous power.