Shloka 20

Devanagari script

विष्णुना वसता चापि गृहे दशरथस्य वै । दशग्रीवो हतश्छन्न॑ संयुगे भीमकर्मणा,“भयंकर पराक्रमी भगवान्‌ विष्णुने भी श्रीरामरूपसे दशरथके घरमें छिपे रहकर युद्धमें दशमुख रावणका वध किया था

Transliteration

viṣṇunā vasatā cāpi gṛhe daśarathasya vai | daśagrīvo hataś channaḥ saṃyuge bhīmakarmaṇā ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Even Viṣṇu, dwelling incognito in the house of Daśaratha, slew Daśagrīva in battle—secretly assuming a human form and accomplishing a fearsome deed.”

Word by Word

विष्णुनाby Vishnu

वसताwhile dwelling / by (him) dwelling

चand

अपिalso / even

गृहेin the house

दशरथस्यof Dasharatha

वैindeed

दशग्रीवःthe ten-necked one (Ravana)

हतःkilled / slain

छन्नःhidden / concealed

संयुगेin battle

भीमकर्मणाby the one of terrible deeds (i.e., mighty in action)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Viṣṇu

Daśaratha

Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)

Śrī Rāma (implied by context: Viṣṇu dwelling in Daśaratha’s house)

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 that the Divine may take on a concealed, human mode (incarnation) to uphold dharma: power is exercised not for display but to remove tyranny and re-establish moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls the Rāmāyaṇa episode: Viṣṇu, residing in Daśaratha’s household as Rāma, fought and killed Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa) in battle—emphasizing the avatar’s hidden identity and decisive action.