Shloka 25

Mārkaṇḍeya’s Consolation to the King: Exempla of Rāma and the Efficacy of Allies (मार्कण्डेयाश्वासनम्)

Devanagari script

रावण उवाच गन्धर्वदेवासुरतो यक्षराक्षसतस्तथा । सर्पकिन्नरभूते भ्यो न मे भूयात्‌ पराभव:,रावण बोला--भगवन्‌! गन्धर्व, देवता, असुर, यक्ष, राक्षस, सर्प, किन्नर तथा भूतोंसे कभी मेरी पराजय न हो

Transliteration

rāvaṇa uvāca gandharva-devāsura-to yakṣa-rākṣasa-tas tathā | sarpa-kinnara-bhūtebhyo na me bhūyāt parābhavaḥ ||

Translation

Rāvaṇa said: “May I never suffer defeat at the hands of Gandharvas, gods, Asuras, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, serpents (Nāgas), Kinnaras, or Bhūtas.”

Word by Word

रावणःRāvaṇa

उवाचsaid

गन्धर्व-देव-असुरतःfrom Gandharvas, gods, and Asuras

यक्ष-राक्षसतःfrom Yakṣas and Rākṣasas

तथाand likewise

सर्प-किन्नर-भूतेभ्यःfrom serpents, Kinnaras, and beings (bhūtas)

नnot

मेof me / to me

भूयात्may there be

पराभवःdefeat

Speaker

रावण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāvaṇa

Gandharvas

Devas

Asuras

Yakṣas

Rākṣasas

Sarpas (Nāgas)

Kinnaras

Bhūtas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral risk in seeking unchecked invulnerability: a desire for supremacy over all classes of beings can arise from pride, and such power—when not governed by dharma—tends to become a cause of downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāvaṇa is voicing a boon-like wish: that no defeat should come to him from various supernatural and celestial beings (Gandharvas, gods, Asuras, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Nāgas, Kinnaras, and Bhūtas), asserting a claim to near-unassailable power.