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Shloka 1

रावणरथवैभव–निमित्तदर्शन–राममातलिसंवादः

Ravana’s Chariot, Portents, and Rama–Matali Instructions

Devanagari script

स रथंसारथिःहृष्टंपरसैन्यप्रधर्षणम् ।गन्धर्वनगराकारंसमुच्छ्रितपाताकिनम् ।।।।युक्तंपरमसम्पन्नैर्वजिभिर्हेममालिभिः ।युद्धोपकरणैःपूर्णंपताकाध्वजमालिनीम् ।।।।ग्रसन्तमिवचाकाशंनादयन्तंवसुन्धराम् ।प्रणाशंपरनैन्यानांस्वनैन्यस्यप्रहर्षणम् ।।।।रावणस्यरथंक्षिप्रंचोदयामाससारथिः ।

Transliteration

sa rathaṃ sārathiḥ hṛṣṭaṃ parasainyapradharṣaṇam |

gandharvanagarākāraṃ samucchritapātākinam ||

yuktaṃ paramasampannair vājibhir hemamālibhiḥ |

yuddhopakaraṇaiḥ pūrṇaṃ patākādhvajamālinīm ||

grasantam iva cākāśaṃ nādayantaṃ vasundharām |

praṇāśaṃ parnainyānāṃ svanainyasya praharṣaṇam ||

rāvaṇasya rathaṃ kṣipraṃ codayāmāsa sārathiḥ |

Translation

Su gozoso auriga impulsó con presteza el carro de Rāvaṇa: terrible para el ejército enemigo, semejante a una ciudad de Gandharvas y erizado de altos estandartes. Iba uncido a caballos excelentes, adornados con guirnaldas de oro, y colmado de pertrechos de guerra; con sus banderas y enseñas parecía devorar el cielo y hacer retumbar la tierra, ruina de las filas contrarias y júbilo de las propias.

Word by Word
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
rathamchariot
ratham:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootratha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
sārathiḥcharioteer
sārathiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsārathi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
hṛṣṭamdelighted
hṛṣṭam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roothṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, √hṛṣ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) used adjectivally
para-sainya-pradharṣaṇamcrusher of the enemy army
para-sainya-pradharṣaṇam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक) + pradharṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: परस्य सैन्यस्य प्रधर्षणम् (crusher of enemy army)
gandharva-nagara-ākāramshaped like a Gandharva-city
gandharva-nagara-ākāram:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootgandharva (प्रातिपदिक) + nagara (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गन्धर्वनगरस्य आकारः (having the form of Gandharva-city)
samucchrita-patākinamwith flags raised high
samucchrita-patākinam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsam-ud-√śri (धातु) क्त + patākin (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: समुच्छ्रिताः पताकाः यस्य (with lofty flags)
yuktamyoked/equipped
yuktam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootyukta (कृदन्त, √yuj)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (yoked/equipped)
parama-sampannaiḥwith most excellent
parama-sampannaiḥ:
Karana (करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootparama (प्रातिपदिक) + sampanna (कृदन्त, √pad/√pṛ?) (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: परमाः सम्पन्नाः (most excellent, richly endowed)
vājibhiḥhorses
vājibhiḥ:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootvājin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
hema-mālibhiḥadorned with golden garlands
hema-mālibhiḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roothema (प्रातिपदिक) + mālin (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: हेममालाः येषां ते (having golden garlands/chains)
yuddha-upakaraṇaiḥwith war-implements
yuddha-upakaraṇaiḥ:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootyuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + upakaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: युद्धस्य उपकरणानि
pūrṇamfilled
pūrṇam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpūrṇa (कृदन्त, √pṝ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (filled)
patākā-dhvaja-mālinamdecked with flags and banners
patākā-dhvaja-mālinam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpatākā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक) + mālin (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (पताकाः च ध्वजाः च) + mālin (garlanded/arrayed with)
grasantamas if swallowing
grasantam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√gras (धातु) शतृ
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (devouring/filling)
ivaas if
iva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, उपमानवाचक (comparative particle)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)
ākāśamthe sky
ākāśam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
nādayantammaking resound
nādayantam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√nad (धातु) णिच् causative + शतृ
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative present participle (making resound)
vasundharāmthe earth
vasundharām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvasundharā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
praṇāśamdestruction
praṇāśam:
Visheshya (विशेष्य/attribute)
TypeNoun
Rootpraṇāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/विशेष्यभावे (as ‘destruction’)
para-sainyānāmof the enemy armies
para-sainyānām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: परस्य सैन्यस्य (of enemy armies)
sva-sainyasyaof (his) own army
sva-sainyasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्वस्य सैन्यस्य
praharṣaṇamdelight
praharṣaṇam:
Visheshya (विशेष्य/attribute)
TypeNoun
Rootpraharṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘cause of joy’ (appositional)
rāvaṇasyaof Ravana
rāvaṇasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootrāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
rathamchariot
ratham:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootratha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
kṣipramquickly
kṣipram:
Visheshana (विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkṣipra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
codayāmāsadrove/urged on
codayāmāsa:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√cud (धातु) णिच् causative
Formलिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): ‘caused to move/drove’
sārathiḥthe charioteer
sārathiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsārathi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
Context

Delighted charioteer drove the chariot of Ravana with speed. It was of the shape of the abode of Gandharvas, capable of destroying enemy's army. It had rows of excellent flags, richly endowed, like the best piece of artwork. It was fixed with flag posts in rows touching the sky and filling space. It was yoked to excellent horses adorned with gold chains and equipped with implements for war. The earth was resounding as it was driven as if to crush the enemy's army and its own army was happy.

Characters & Entities
R
Rāvaṇa
C
Charioteer (Rāvaṇa’s)
G
Gandharva (as simile: gandharvanagara)

FAQs

The verse contrasts power with righteousness: magnificent war-machinery can inspire armies, but Dharma in the Ramayana judges warfare by purpose—whether it protects the innocent or serves pride and domination.

Rāvaṇa’s chariot is driven rapidly into battle, described in grand, intimidating imagery to heighten the tension before the clash with Rāma.

Implicitly, vigilance and preparedness in conflict: the scene sets the stage for Rāma’s disciplined response to overwhelming force.

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