Shloka 20

Devanagari script

विष्णुना वसता चापि गृहे दशरथस्य वै । दशग्रीवो हतश्छन्न॑ संयुगे भीमकर्मणा,“भयंकर पराक्रमी भगवान्‌ विष्णुने भी श्रीरामरूपसे दशरथके घरमें छिपे रहकर युद्धमें दशमुख रावणका वध किया था

Transliteration

viṣṇunā vasatā cāpi gṛhe daśarathasya vai | daśagrīvo hataś channaḥ saṃyuge bhīmakarmaṇā ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: «Aun Viṣṇu, morando de incógnito en la casa de Daśaratha, dio muerte a Daśagrīva en batalla: ocultó su divinidad bajo forma humana y consumó una hazaña temible».

Word by Word

• विष्णुना: by Vishnu
• विष्णुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वसता: while dwelling / by (him) dwelling
• वसता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (निवासे)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दशरथस्य: of Dasharatha
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• दशग्रीवः: the ten-necked one (Ravana)
• दशग्रीवः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशग्रीव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हतः: killed / slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (हिंसायाम्)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• छन्नः: hidden / concealed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छद् (आवरणे)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भीमकर्मणा: by the one of terrible deeds (i.e., mighty in action)
• भीमकर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीमकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Viṣṇu
• Daśaratha
• Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)
• Śrī Rāma (implied by context: Viṣṇu dwelling in Daśaratha’s house)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that the Divine may take on a concealed, human mode (incarnation) to uphold dharma: power is exercised not for display but to remove tyranny and re-establish moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls the Rāmāyaṇa episode: Viṣṇu, residing in Daśaratha’s household as Rāma, fought and killed Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa) in battle—emphasizing the avatar’s hidden identity and decisive action.