Shloka 11

कुम्भकर्णवधः — Kumbhakarṇa’s Fall and the Renewal of the Engagement

Devanagari script

इनके अपराधी कभी जीवित नहीं रह सकते। ये वैरको कभी नहीं भूलते हैं और वैरका बदला लेकर ही रहते हैं। बदला लेनेके बाद भी अच्छी तरह शान्त नहीं हो पाते

Transliteration

ime 'parādhinaḥ kadācij jīvituṃ na śaknuvanti | te vairam kadācid api na vismaranti, vairasya pratikāraṃ kṛtvāiva tiṣṭhanti | pratikāraṃ kṛtvāpi samyak praśāntiṃ na yānti |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Those who are guilty of such offenses cannot be allowed to live. They never forget enmity; they persist until they have taken revenge. And even after exacting retaliation, they do not truly become calm.”

Word by Word

इन्these (people)

अपराधिनःoffenders, culprits

कदाचित्ever, at any time

जीवितुम्to live

नnot

शक्नुवन्तिare able (can)

तेthey

वैरम्enmity, hostility

कदाचनever (at any time)

नnot

विस्मरन्तिforget

वैरस्यof enmity

प्रतिशोधम्revenge, retaliation

आदायhaving taken (having exacted)

एवindeed, only

तिष्ठन्तिremain, stand (are so)

प्रतिशोधंrevenge

कृत्वाhaving done

अपिeven, also

सुसम्यक्quite well, thoroughly

शान्ताःcalm, pacified

नnot

भवन्तिbecome, are

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the corrosive nature of enmity: a mind fixed on revenge cannot attain real peace, even after retaliation. It warns that wrongdoing and vengeful fixation perpetuate unrest rather than resolve it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, characterizes certain offenders as relentlessly vengeful—unable to forget hostility and unable to become tranquil even after taking revenge—thereby framing the moral and psychological stakes of ongoing conflict.