Shloka 1

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

वीक्षमाणस्ततो लङ्कां कपिः कृतमनोरथः।।।।वर्धमानसमुत्साहः कार्यशेषमचिन्तयत्।

Transliteration

vīkṣamāṇas tato laṅkāṁ kapiḥ kṛtamanorathaḥ | vardhamāna-samutsāhaḥ kāryaśeṣam acintayat || 5.54.1 ||

Translation

Alors le singe, son dessein accompli, contempla Laṅkā ; et, son ardeur grandissant, il songea à ce qu’il restait à accomplir.

Word by Word

• वीक्षमाणः: looking at
• वीक्षमाणः: कर्ता (Karta; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (ablatival adverb: then/thereafter)

• लङ्काम्: Lanka
• लङ्काम्: कर्म (Karma; object of seeing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कपिः: the monkey
• कपिः: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृतमनोरथः: having achieved his aim
• कृतमनोरथः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of ‘कपिः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (√कृ, क्त) + मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: कृतः मनोरथः यस्य (whose wish/aim is accomplished)

• वर्धमानसमुत्साहः: with growing enthusiasm
• वर्धमानसमुत्साहः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of ‘कपिः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्धमान (√वृध्, शतृ) + समुत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: वर्धमानः समुत्साहः यस्य (whose zeal is increasing)

• कार्यशेषम्: the remaining work
• कार्यशेषम्: कर्म (Karma; object of thinking)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य+शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: कार्यस्य शेषम् (the remainder of the task)

• अचिन्तयत्: considered/thought
• अचिन्तयत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

With his objectives achieved, the monkey gazed at Lanka with growing zeal and pondered over the remaining work.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Laṅkā

FAQs

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

Duty before ego: even after success, Hanumān evaluates the remaining responsibility, modeling disciplined service rather than self-congratulation.

What is the narrative situation?

Having completed a key objective (Sītā-darśana and message-delivery contextually), Hanumān now surveys Laṅkā to decide the next course of action.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prājñatā (practical wisdom) and kārya-niṣṭhā (commitment to the task).