Shloka 6.7.22

राक्षसपरिषद्वाक्यम् — Counsel of the Rakshasa Court to Ravana

Devanagari script

शक्तितोमरमीनंचविनिकीर्णान्त्रशैवलम् ।गजकछपसम्बाधमश्वमण्डूकसंकुलम् ।।6.7.22।।रुद्रादित्यमहाग्राहंमरुद्वसुमहोरगम् ।रथश्वगजतोयौघंपदातिपुलिनंमहत् ।।6.7.23।।अनेनहिसमासाद्यदेवानांबलसागरम् ।गृहीतोदैवतपतिर्लङ्कांचापिप्रवेशितः ।।6.7.24।।

Transliteration

śakti-tomara-mīnaṃ ca vinikīrṇāntra-śaivalam |

gaja-kachapa-sambādham aśva-maṇḍūka-saṅkulam ||6.7.22||

Translation

He (Rāvaṇa) had once come upon that ‘ocean of the gods’—an ocean teeming with fish that were spears and javelins, with water-weeds made of scattered entrails; crowded with elephants like tortoises, and filled with horses like frogs.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

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

The verse itself is largely descriptive, but it serves an ethical warning by implication: pride in past victories can cloud righteous judgment; Dharma requires clear discernment rather than intoxication with power.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa’s counselors attempt to embolden him by recalling his former conquest over the gods, using an extended metaphor of the gods’ army as an ocean.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a failing is highlighted indirectly: overconfidence (mada) and self-deception, which oppose the Dharmic virtues of prudence and truthfulness.