Shloka 141
युद्धकाण्डे एकोनषष्टितमः सर्गः
Rāvaṇa’s Assault on Nīla and Lakṣmaṇa; Hanumān Bears Rāma
तंनिर्विषाशीविषसन्निकाशंशान्तार्चिषंसूर्यमिवाप्रकाशम् ।गतश्रियंकृत्तकिरीटकूटमुवाचरामोयुधिराक्षसेन्द्रम् ।।6.59.141।।
taṃ nirviṣāśīviṣasannikāśaṃ śāntārciṣaṃ sūryam ivāprakāśam |
gataśriyaṃ kṛttakirīṭakūṭam uvāca rāmo yudhi rākṣasendram ||6.59.141||
Then, in the midst of battle, Rāma addressed that lord of the rākṣasas—like a serpent whose poison is spent, like the sun with its radiance quenched—his splendor gone and the crest of his crown shattered.
Rama said to the king of Rakshasas, who was like a serpent rid of poison without (head) crown, without splendour like the Sun without brightness, his glory lost with the crown broken in the combat.
FAQs
The imagery marks the collapse of adharma’s power: once fearsome, Rāvaṇa’s strength and splendor are shown as spent, implying that unrighteous might is not enduring when confronted by dharma.
It underscores a moral truth repeatedly affirmed in the epic: glory rooted in wrongdoing is unstable; when truth and righteous purpose prevail, the false radiance of adharma fades.