Shloka 22
शक्तिप्रहारः
Ravana’s Shakti Javelin and Lakshmana’s Wounding
ततःसम्भाविततरांकालेनापिदुरासदाम् ।जग्राहविपुलांशक्तिंदीप्यमानांस्वतेजसा ।।।।
tataḥ sambhāvitatarāṃ kālenāpi durāsadām |
jagrāha vipulāṃ śaktiṃ dīpyamānāṃ svatejasā ||
Entonces Rāvaṇa empuñó una lanza enorme, radiante con su propio fulgor, tan temible que aun la Muerte hallaría difícil resistirla.
Then, Ravana seized hold of a huge javelin shining with its own splendour, a formidable one even for the god of death.
FAQs
Power itself is ethically neutral; the Ramayana frames the moral question as who wields it and for what purpose.
After one spear is destroyed, Rāvaṇa takes up an even more formidable weapon.
By contrast, the verse spotlights Rāvaṇa’s reliance on overwhelming force rather than righteous restraint.