Shloka 3.32.20
अरण्यकाण्डे द्वात्रिंशः सर्गः — Śūrpaṇakhā’s Report to Rāvaṇa and the Panegyric of His Might
आप्तयज्ञहरं क्रूरं ब्रह्मघ्नं दुष्टचारिणम्।कर्कशं निरनुक्रोशं प्रजानामहिते रतम्।।।।
āptayajñaharaṃ krūraṃ brahmaghnaṃ duṣṭacāriṇam |
karkaśaṃ niranukrośaṃ prajānām ahite ratam ||
He was a cruel spoiler of sacrifices at their culmination, a slayer of brahmins—of wicked conduct, harsh and without compassion—ever engaged in what harms the people.
He disrupted sacrifices at the final stage. He killed brahmins. He was ruthless, harsh, and merciless. He was involved in activities against human welfare.
Dharma demands protection of the innocent, respect for sacred learning, and support of public welfare. The verse lists anti-Dharmic markers: cruelty, sacrilege, violence against brahmins, and governance opposed to the people’s good.
The narration intensifies Rāvaṇa’s moral profile, preparing the reader to see the coming conflict as a confrontation between Dharma and entrenched adharma.
Compassion and public-mindedness are the implied virtues—highlighted by their absence in Rāvaṇa.