Shloka 9

कुम्भकर्णप्रस्थानम्

Kumbhakarna’s Departure for Battle

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तवतोवाक्यंकुम्भकर्णस्यधीमतः ।प्रत्युवाचततोवाक्यंप्रहसन्राक्षसाधिपः ।।।।

Transliteration

evam uktavato vākyaṃ kumbhakarṇasya dhīmataḥ | pratyuvāca tato vākyaṃ prahasan rākṣasādhipaḥ ||

Translation

Lorsque le sage Kumbhakarṇa eut parlé ainsi, le seigneur des rākṣasas, souriant d’un rire, répondit alors par ses propres paroles.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus)

• uktavataḥ: of the one who had spoken
• uktavataḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्तवत्), पुंलिङ्ग षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'of (him) who had spoken'

• vākyam: words/speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kumbhakarṇasya: of Kumbhakarna
• kumbhakarṇasya: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbhakarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• dhīmataḥ: wise
• dhīmataḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (of kumbhakarṇa)

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक अव्यय (then)

• vākyam: speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• prahasan: laughing
• prahasan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√has (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; 'laughing' (concomitant)

• rākṣasa-adhipaḥ: the lord of the Rakshasas
• rākṣasa-adhipaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राक्षसानाम् अधिपः)

Context

Wise Kumbhakarna having spoken in that way, the Rakshasa king, Ravana laughed and replied in this way.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhakarṇa
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

The ethics of counsel: a ruler’s response to wise advice is morally significant—whether it is received with seriousness or dismissed with pride.

What is the narrative situation?

Kumbhakarṇa has just declared his intention to fight; the narration turns to Rāvaṇa’s immediate reaction and reply.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kumbhakarṇa’s discernment is highlighted (dhīmat), while Rāvaṇa’s laughing reply foreshadows a potentially pride-tinged leadership posture.