Shloka 17

युद्धकाण्डे अष्टमः सर्गः — राक्षससभा-युद्धपरामर्शः

War-Council Boasts and Stratagems

Devanagari script

आकाशेगणशस्थ्सित्वाहत्वातांहरिवाहिनीम् ।अश्मशस्त्रमहावृष्ट्याप्रापयामयमक्षयम् ।।6.8.17।।

Transliteration

ākāśe gaṇaśaḥ sthitvā hatvā tāṃ harivāhinīm |

aśmaśastramahāvṛṣṭyā prāpayāma yamakṣayam ||6.8.17||

Translation

Apostados en el cielo por escuadrones, abatiremos a aquel ejército de vánaras; con una gran lluvia de piedras y armas los enviaremos a la morada de Yama.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक) = thus/in this way

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त/conditional particle) = if

• upasarpetām: would approach/come near
• upasarpetām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√sṛp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन (dual)

• anayam: misfortune/distress
• anayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘misfortune/distress’

• rāma-lakṣmaṇau: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa
• rāma-lakṣmaṇau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (copulative) dual; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• avaśyam: certainly
• avaśyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: avaśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक) = certainly/inevitably

• apanītena: by a stratagem/means
• apanītena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apa-√nī (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (kta) used substantively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग तृतीया एकवचन in sense ‘by removal/stratagem’; here instrumental ‘by a ruse/means’

• jahatām: (they) would abandon
• jahatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present) / or लोट्-लकार nuance; परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; √hā ‘to abandon’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = just/indeed

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Context

"When Rama and Lakshmana are distressed that way, they would certainly succumb to our cunning ways and give up life."

Characters & Entities

• Vānara army (harivāhinī)
• Yama
• Sky (ākāśa)

FAQs

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

Dharma is implicitly contrasted with ruthless aggression; the verse depicts intent to destroy indiscriminately, illustrating the mindset of adharma in war.

What is the narrative situation?

Rākṣasas threaten aerial tactics—attacking from the sky with showers of stones and weapons against the vanara forces.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Strategic coordination is shown, but framed as misused capability when driven by cruelty rather than righteous protection.