Shloka 22

मकराक्षवधः

The Slaying of Makarākṣa

Devanagari script

तान्शरान् शरवर्षेणरामश्चिच्छेदनैकधा ।निपेतुर्भुवितेछिन्नारुक्मपुङ्खास्सहस्रशः ।।।।

Transliteration

tān śarān śaravarṣeṇa rāmaś ciccheda naikadhā |

nipetur bhuvi te chinnā rukmapuṅkhāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Pero Rāma, con una contralluvia de flechas, los hizo pedazos; aquellas saetas de plumas doradas cayeron a tierra en miles de fragmentos.

Word by Word

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• śarān: arrows
• śarān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• śaravarṣeṇa: with a shower of arrows
• śaravarṣeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara-varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘rain of arrows’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• ciccheda: cut to pieces
• ciccheda: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: chid (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्) perfect, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• na-ekadhā: into many pieces
• na-ekadhā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na + ekadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकार-अव्यय); na + ekadhā = ‘not in one way’ → ‘in many pieces/variously’

• nipetuḥ: fell down
• nipetuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-pat (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्) perfect, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• bhuvi: on the ground
• bhuvi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी) Singular (एकवचन)

• te: those (they)
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)

• chinnāḥ: cut off
• chinnāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of nipetuḥ) / Predicative
• Type: Verb
• Root: chid (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन); agrees with rukmapuṅkhāḥ

• rukma-puṅkhāḥ: gold-feathered arrows
• rukma-puṅkhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rukma (प्रातिपदिक) + puṅkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘golden-feathered (arrows)’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)

• sahasraśaḥ: by the thousand / in thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (परिमाण-अव्यय)

Context

Rama rained volley of arrows on the Rakshasa and shattered those golden feathered arrows which fell on the ground into thousands of pieces.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Makarākṣa
• arrows (śara)

FAQs

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

Dharma is upheld through competent protection: the righteous defender neutralizes harm efficiently, minimizing chaos in battle.

What is the narrative situation?

Makarākṣa’s arrow volley is met and destroyed by Rāma’s superior archery.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Skill (kauśala) joined to restraint—power used precisely for defense.