Shloka 32
भर्तृजेन तु दुःखेन ह्यभिभूता वनौकसः।।।।शिरांस्यभिहनिष्यन्ति तलैर्मुष्टिभिरेव च।
bhartṛ-jena tu duḥkhena hy abhibhūtā vanaukasaḥ |
śirāṃsy abhihaniṣyanti talair muṣṭibhir eva ca ||
Overpowered by grief arising from their lord’s fate, the forest-dwellers will strike their own heads with palms—and with fists as well.
"The grief due to the death of their king will make the vanaras hit their heads with their palms and fists.
FAQs
Dharma includes fidelity to one’s leader and cause; the verse highlights how a leader’s downfall can shake communal morale, urging the messenger to act rightly to prevent collective harm.
Hanumān anticipates the vānaras’ despair if the mission fails and the leadership collapses under sorrow.
Empathy—Hanumān imagines others’ pain vividly, strengthening his resolve to fulfill his duty truthfully and effectively.