Shloka 6.40.26
सुवेलारोहणं रावण-सुग्रीव-नियुद्धम् (Ascent of Suvela and the Ravana–Sugriva Duel)
मण्डलानिविचित्राणिस्थानानिविविधानिच ।मूत्रकाणिचित्राणिगतप्रत्यागतानिच ।।6.40.23।।तिरच्शीनगतान्येवतथावक्रगतानिच ।परिमोक्षंप्रहाराणांवर्जनंपरिधावनम् ।।6.40.24।।अभिद्रवणमाप्लावमावस्थानंसविग्रहम् ।परावृत्तमपावृत्तमपद्रुतमवप्लुतम् ।।6.40.25।।उपन्यस्तपमन्यस्तंयुद्धमार्गविशारदौ ।तौसञ्चेचेरतुरन्योन्यंवानरेन्द्रश्चरावणः ।।6.40.26।।
maṇḍalāni vicitrāṇi sthānāni vividhāni ca |
gomūtrakāṇi citrāṇi gatapratyāgatāni ca || 6.40.23 ||
tiraścīnagatāny eva tathā vakragatāni ca |
parimokṣaṃ prahārāṇāṃ varjanaṃ paridhāvanam || 6.40.24 ||
abhidravaṇam āplāvam avasthānaṃ savigraham |
parāvṛttam apāvṛttam apadrutam avaplutam || 6.40.25 ||
upanyastam apānyastaṃ yuddhamārgaviśāradau |
tau sañcecēratur anyonyaṃ vānarendraś ca rāvaṇaḥ || 6.40.26 ||
Skilled in the ways of battle, Rāvaṇa and the lord of the Vānaras circled one another in wondrous patterns—forming rings and spirals like the “cow’s-urine” whirl—taking many striking stances. They advanced and withdrew, moved sideways and at angles, feinted and curved away; they launched and avoided blows, chased and checked each other; they rushed, leapt, held firm without yielding, turned away and turned back, retreated and sprang aside—now setting their hands to strike, now drawing them back—each displaying mastery of combat against the other.
Both Vanara king and Ravana being learned in war craft, went around in circles like ox's urine, stood in different wonderful postures, moved forward and backward horizontally and obliquely to evade movements, hitting, and delivering each other, standing steadily motionless, striking, jumping, assaulting each other coming forward and going away, going backwards jumping from behind, holding hands and folding to resist exhibiting their skill in combat.
By emphasizing disciplined movement, measured striking, and skilled evasion, the verse portrays yuddha-nīti (ethical war-craft): combat is not mere rage but controlled conduct where prowess is shown with restraint and order—an aspect of Dharma in battle.
“Gomūtraka” denotes a named spiral/zigzag combat pattern. Its use signals truthful description (satya) of technical martial practice: the narration reports recognizable battlefield maneuvers rather than exaggeration, grounding heroism in observable skill.