Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 42, Shloka 5
लङ्काप्राकारारोहणम् / Assault on Lanka’s Ramparts and the Opening Clash
सचिन्तयित्वासुचिरंधैर्यमालम्ब्यरावणः ।राघवंहरियूथांश्चददर्शायतलोचनः ।।।।
sa cintayitvā suciraṃ dhairyam ālambya rāvaṇaḥ |
rāghavaṃ hariyūthāṃś ca dadarśāyata-locanaḥ ||
Rāvaṇa, after pondering for a long time and steadying himself with resolve, gathered his courage and, with calm far-seeing eyes, beheld Rāghava and the hosts of Vānara warriors.
The vanaras jumping up dragged the Rakshasas stationed on the boundary wall down to the ground.
FAQs
The verse highlights inner resolve (dhairya) as a force that enables decisive action. In the Ramayana’s ethical lens, courage becomes meaningful when aligned with responsibility; here it foreshadows the moral contest of adharma (Rāvaṇa) confronting dharma (Rāma).
On the battlefield setting near Laṅkā, Rāvaṇa pauses, reflects, regains composure, and then surveys Rāma and the Vānara forces.
Fortitude and decisiveness (dhairya) are emphasized—though in Rāvaṇa’s case, the virtue is ethically ambiguous because it supports an unrighteous cause.
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