Shloka 4

रावणवधदर्शनम्

Lament of the Rākṣasa Women upon Seeing Rāvaṇa Slain

Devanagari script

उत्तरेणविनिष्क्रम्यद्वारेणसहराक्षसैः ।प्रविश्यायोधनंघोरंविचिन्वन्त्वोहतंपतिम् ।।6.113.3।।आर्यपुत्रेतिवादिन्योहानाथेति च सर्वशः ।परिपेतुःकबन्धाङ्कांमहींशोणितकर्दमाम् ।।6.113.4।।

Transliteration

uttareṇa viniṣkramya dvāreṇa saha rākṣasaiḥ | praviśyāyodhanaṃ ghoraṃ vicinvantyo hataṃ patim ||

āryaputreti vādinyo hānātheti ca sarvaśaḥ | paripetuḥ kabandhāṅkāṃ mahīṃ śoṇitakardamām ||

Translation

Sortant par la porte du nord avec les rākṣasas, elles entrèrent dans l’effroyable champ de bataille, cherchant leurs époux tués ; criant « Ô Aryaputra ! » et « Hélas, mon seigneur ! », elles erraient partout sur la terre jonchée de troncs sans tête, épaisse de sang et de boue.

Word by Word

ताःthey (women)

बाष्पपरिपूर्णाक्ष्यःwith eyes full of tears

भर्तृशोकपराजिताःovercome by grief for their husbands

करेण्वःfemale elephants

इवlike

नर्दन्त्यःbellowing

विनेदुःcried out, roared

हतयूथपाःwhose leader was slain

Context

The Rakshasa women along with Rakshasas came out of the north gate and entered the battlefield screaming 'O son', 'O husband' and crying, seeing the trunks soaked in blood and mud on the ground and went about all over.

Characters & Entities

Northern gate (uttara-dvāra)

Rākṣasas

Rākṣasa women

Battlefield (āyodhana)

FAQs

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

Dharma reflection arises from suffering: the epic shows how disorder in rulers’ ethics produces widespread lament among families.

What is the narrative situation?

A narrative description of the women of Laṅkā entering the battlefield to search for the dead amid horrific remains.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Textually, the emphasis is on the poet’s compassionate realism; philologically, it also signals the kind of repetition that can occur in recensional transmission.