Shloka 32

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

युगान्तकालानलतुल्यवेग स्समारुतोऽग्निर्ववृधे दिविस्पृक्।विधूमरश्मिर्भवनेषु सक्तो रक्षश्शरीराज्यसमर्पतार्चिः।।।।

Transliteration

yugānta-kālānala-tulya-vegaḥ samāruto ’gnir vavṛdhe divi-spṛk | vidhūma-raśmir bhavaneṣu sakto rakṣaḥ-śarīrājyasamarpitārciḥ ||

Translation

Attisé par le vent, le feu grandit et bondit jusqu’à frôler le ciel, rapide comme l’incendie cosmique à la fin d’un âge. S’agrippant aux demeures, sa clarté sans fumée flamboya, nourrie des graisses et des huiles des corps rākṣasa.

Word by Word

• युगान्त-काल-अनल-तुल्य-वेगः: having speed like the end-of-age fire
• युगान्त-काल-अनल-तुल्य-वेगः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युगान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष, विशेषण (अग्निः)

• समारुतः: fanned by wind
• समारुतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निः), 'wind-aided/fanned'

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ववृधे: grew / increased
• ववृधे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दिवि-स्पृक्: touching the sky
• दिवि-स्पृक्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पृश् (धातु; स्पृक्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निः), 'sky-touching'

• विधूम-रश्मिः: with smokeless rays
• विधूम-रश्मिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + धूम (प्रातिपदिक) + रश्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निः)

• भवनेषु: in the houses/mansions
• भवनेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• सक्तः: clinging / attached
• सक्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सञ्ज्/सङ्ग् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निः)

• रक्षः-शरीर-आज्य-समर्पत-अर्चिः: whose flame was fed by the ghee-like fat of demon bodies
• रक्षः-शरीर-आज्य-समर्पत-अर्चिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + आज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समर्पत् (सम्+अर्प् धातु; वर्तमानकृदन्त) + अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष, विशेषण (अग्निः)

Context

The fierce fire lit by Hanuman, the hero endowed with great speed, spread around in circles and shot up flying high to the top of the Trikuta mountain on which Lanka was located.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• agni (fire)
• māruta (wind)
• rākṣasas

FAQs

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

The verse stresses moral causality: adharma culminates in self-consuming ruin. When violence and cruelty dominate, the same elements (wind, fire, bodies) become instruments of collapse.

What is the narrative situation?

The city-wide fire accelerates under strong winds, growing immense and nearly apocalyptic, burning intensely within the mansions.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The emphasis is less on personal virtue and more on the epic’s moral law: destructive consequences follow entrenched adharma, reinforcing the need for righteous conduct.