Shloka 5

युद्धकाण्डे पञ्चनवतितमः सर्गः

Sarga 95: Lamentation in Laṅkā and the Causal Chain of Enmity

Devanagari script

दृष्टवाश्रुत्वा च सम्भ्रान्ताहतशेषानिशाचराः ।राक्षसीश्चसमागम्यदीनाश्चिन्तापरिप्लुताः ।।6.95.4।।विधवाहतपुत्राश्चक्रोशन्त्योहतबान्दवाः ।राक्षस्यःसहसङ्गम्यदुःखार्ताःपर्यदेवयन् ।।6.95.5।।

Transliteration

kathaṃ śūrpaṇakhā vṛddhā karālā nirnatodarī | āsasāda vane rāmaṃ kandarpam iva rūpiṇam ||

Translation

Wie konnte die betagte Śūrpaṇakhā — schrecklich und entstellt — sich im Wald Rāma nähern, dessen Schönheit der des Kāma selbst glich?

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः; temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (ततः = 'then/from there')

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता; subject of dadṛśuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Bahuvacana; pronoun: 'they/those'

• vānarāḥ: vānaras
• vānarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Bahuvacana; in apposition to te: 'monkeys/vānaras'

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Bahuvacana; adjective of vānarāḥ/rākṣasāḥ: 'all'

• rākṣasāḥ: rākṣasas
• rākṣasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; coordinated subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Bahuvacana; coordinated subject with vānarāḥ: 'rākṣasas'

• sa-vibhīṣaṇāḥ: together with Vibhishana
• sa-vibhīṣaṇāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; of subject-group)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + vibhīṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Bahuvacana; Avyayībhāva: 'together with Vibhīṣaṇa'

• utpatya: leaping up
• utpatya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√pat (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; अव्ययभाव)
• Form: Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय): 'having leapt up'

• utpatya: again and again
• utpatya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√pat (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; अव्ययभाव)
• Form: Repetition (वीप्सा): 'again and again leaping up'

• saṃhṛṣṭāḥ: delighted
• saṃhṛṣṭāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-√hṛṣ (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta PPP used adjectivally; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Bahuvacana; 'delighted/overjoyed'

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (कर्म; object determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; demonstrative: 'that (f.)'

• purīm: city
• purīm: Karma (कर्म; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; object of dadṛśuḥ: 'city'

• dadṛśuḥ: saw
• dadṛśuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (परोक्शभूत/perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana; parasmaipada; √dṛś 'to see' → 'they saw'

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः; temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय): 'at that time'

Context

"On seeing and hearing of the others left over, the night rangers felt bewildered and piteous with agony coming together, moving in groups, those who lost husband, son, kin and protectors along with associates crying, stricken with grief."

Characters & Entities

• Śūrpaṇakhā
• Rāma
• Forest (vana)
• Kandarpa/Kāma

FAQs

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

Unchecked kāma (desire) and impropriety can ignite chain reactions of harm. Dharma includes self-restraint and respect for boundaries, especially regarding others’ relationships and consent.

What is the narrative situation?

The rākṣasī women retrospectively question how Śūrpaṇakhā initiated events by approaching Rāma in the forest—an origin point for later hostilities.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s attractiveness is noted poetically, but the ethical focus is on restraint: the disaster stems from violating dharmic conduct under the impulse of desire.