Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 88, Shloka 23
इन्द्रजित्–लक्ष्मण संवादः तथा युद्धप्रवृत्तिः
Indrajit and Lakshmana: War-Boasts, Rebuke, and the Clash
अद्यगोमायुसङ्घाश्चश्येनसङ्घाश्चलक्ष्मण ।।।।गृध्राश्चनिपतन्तुत्वांगतासुंनिहतंमया ।
adya gomāyu-saṅghāś ca śyena-saṅghāś ca lakṣmaṇa |
gṛdhrāś ca nipatantu tvāṁ gatāsuṁ nihataṁ mayā ||
“Lakṣmaṇa, today may packs of jackals, flocks of hawks, and vultures descend upon you—slain by me, your life gone.”
"Lakshmana! Today let the jackals, hawks and vultures descend on your bodystruck down by me and ceased of life fallen dead."
FAQs
The verse demonstrates cruelty in speech—rejoicing in another’s death. Ramayana ethics treats such delight in harm as a mark of adharma, even in war.
Indrajit continues his intimidation, imagining scavengers descending on Lakṣmaṇa’s corpse.
By negative example, it emphasizes the virtue of compassion and measured speech, which Indrajit violates.