Shloka 6.27.16

वानर-ऋक्ष-सेना-प्रशंसा (Cataloguing the Vanara and Bear Forces)

Devanagari script

यंत्वेनमभिसम्रब्धंप्लवमानमिवस्थितम् ।प्रेक्षन्तेवानरास्सर्वेस्थितायूथपयूथपम् ।।6.27.15।।एषराजन् सहस्राक्षंपर्युपास्तेहरीश्वरः ।बलेनबलसम्पन्नोदम्भोनामैषयूथपः ।।6.27.16।।

Transliteration

eṣa rājan sahasrākṣaṃ paryupāste harīśvaraḥ |

balena balasampanno dambho nāmaiṣa yūthapaḥ ||6.27.16||

Translation

O King, this lord of the Vānaras—mighty and endowed with strength—stands in attendance all around the Thousand-eyed Indra. This troop-leader is named Dambha.

Context

"O king! This Lord of monkeys, whom whether he is jumping like monkeys or standing is the leader of the leaders, whom the monkeys are looking at standing is called Dhamba, a mighty powerful, fearsome leader and Lord of monkeys. He is surrounded by a strong army like the thousand eyed Indra."

Characters & Entities

• Dambha
• Indra (Sahasraksha)
• Vanaras (monkeys)

FAQs

What is the dharmic significance of comparing a leader to Indra (Sahasrākṣa)?

In the Ramayana, Indra functions as a benchmark for righteous sovereignty and divine order; likening a leader’s retinue to Indra’s highlights disciplined strength under a recognized authority—power that is ideally aligned with dharma rather than mere aggression.

How does this verse relate to satya (truthfulness) in the narrative context?

The verse is presented as an identification and description of a warrior (Dambha) in the assembly of forces; such clear naming and accurate appraisal of strength supports satya as truthful reporting in counsel and strategy, where deception would endanger righteous action.