Shloka 6.68.19

कुम्भकर्णवधश्रवणेन रावणविलापः (Ravana’s Lament on Hearing of Kumbhakarna’s Slaying)

Devanagari script

अद्यैवतंगमिष्यामिदेशंयत्रानुजोमम ।न हिभ्रातृ़न् समुत्सृज्यक्षणंजीवितमुत्सहे ।।।।

Transliteration

yady ahaṃ bhrātṛhantāraṃ na hanmi yudhi rāghavam |

nanu me maraṇaṃ śreyo na cedaṃ vyarthajīvitam ||

Translation

If I do not slay in battle Rāghava—the killer of my brother—then surely death is better for me; otherwise this life is meaningless.

Context

"This very day, this very minute I shall reach the region where my brother died, I have no interest in life."

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Kumbhakarṇa

FAQs

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

It shows how vengeance can masquerade as ‘duty’; Dharma requires right intention and justice, not retaliatory obsession.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa hardens his grief into a vow: he must kill Rāma or consider life not worth living.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Determination is emphasized, but ethically distorted—resolve without Dharma becomes destructive fixation.