Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 67, Shloka 159

कुम्भकर्णवधः

The Slaying of Kumbhakarna

Devanagari script

तेवानराभग्नहतावशेषाःपर्यन्तमाश्रित्यतदाविषण्णाः ।प्रपीडिताङ्गाददृशुस्सुघोरंनरेन्द्ररक्षोधिपन्निपातम् ।।।।

Transliteration

te vānarā bhagnahatāvaśeṣāḥ paryantam āśritya tadā viṣaṇṇāḥ | prapīḍitāṅgā dadṛśus sughoraṃ narendrarakṣodhipasannipātam ||

Translation

Then the surviving vānara—broken, wounded, and heavy with grief—drew near, their bodies crushed by pain, and beheld the dreadful encounter between King Rāma and Kumbhakarṇa, lord of the rākṣasas.

Word by Word

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• वानराः: monkey-warriors (Vanaras)
• वानराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• भग्नहतावशेषाः: those remaining after being broken and slain (survivors)
• भग्नहतावशेषाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न + हत + अवशेष (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (bhagna-hata-avaśeṣa) qualifying वानराः

• पर्यन्तम्: to the edge/boundary
• पर्यन्तम्: Karma/Goal (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially as goal/place

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to / having reached
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (क्रियासम्बन्धः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal form; ‘having taken refuge/approached’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• विषण्णाः: dejected
• विषण्णाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषण्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying वानराः

• प्रपीडिताङ्गाः: with afflicted limbs
• प्रपीडिताङ्गाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-पीडित + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुषः ‘prapīḍita-aṅga’ = whose limbs are oppressed; qualifying वानराः

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); Parasmaipada

• सुघोरम्: very dreadful
• सुघोरम्: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः/उपपद-समासः intensifier ‘very dreadful’; qualifying निपातम्/सन्निपातम्

• नरेन्द्ररक्षोधिपसन्निपातम्: the encounter between the king (Rama) and the Rakshasa-lord
• नरेन्द्ररक्षोधिपसन्निपातम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-इन्द्र + रक्षस्-अधिप + सन्निपात (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘nareन्द्रस्य रक्षोधिपस्य च सन्निपातः’ (meeting/encounter of the king and the lord of Rakshasas)

Context

Then the remaining Vanaras who escaped killing and mutilation went close feeling desperate and witnessed the comb at between Rama and Kumbhakarna.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kumbhakarṇa
• Battlefield (Laṅkā context)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma includes seeking rightful protection and leadership in crisis; the afflicted look to the righteous king’s stand as the moral center of the conflict.

What is the narrative situation?

The battered vānara remnants gather near and witness the terrifying face-to-face clash of Rāma and Kumbhakarṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s rājadharma (kingly duty): standing firm as protector when allies are overwhelmed.