Shloka 18

विभीषणोपदेशः

Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana

Devanagari script

यावत्सुघोरामहतीदुर्धर्षाहरिवाहिनी ।नावस्कन्दतिनोलङ्कांतावत्सीताप्रदीयताम् ।।।।

Transliteration

yāvat sughorā mahatī durdharṣā harivāhinī | nāvaskandati no laṅkāṃ tāvat sītā pradīyatām ||

Translation

Avant que l’immense armée des singes, terrible et irrésistible, ne submerge notre Laṅkā, que Sītā soit rendue.

Word by Word

• yāvat: until
• yāvat: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (until/so long as)

• su-ghorā: very dreadful
• su-ghorā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with हरिवाहिनी)

• mahatī: great, huge
• mahatī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• durdharṣā: hard to assail
• durdharṣā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durdharṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hari-vāhinī: the monkey-army
• hari-vāhinī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + vāhinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (harīṇāṃ vāhinī); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• avaskandati: assails, storms, attacks
• avaskandati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√skand (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; enclitic

• laṅkām: Laṅkā
• laṅkām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṅkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tāvat: until then
• tāvat: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative: ‘then/so long’)

• sītā: Sītā
• sītā: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pradīyatām: let (her) be given back
• pradīyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive): ‘let be handed over’

Context

"Lest the highly dreadful, formidable and huge Vanara troops surround all over Lanka. Give away Sita."

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Sītā
• Harivāhinī (Vanara army)

FAQs

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

Dharma recommends timely correction of wrongdoing; returning Sītā is presented as the righteous act that averts mass violence.

What is the narrative situation?

A final warning in counsel: the vanara host is poised to overwhelm Laṅkā, so restitution must happen immediately.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Commitment to peace through justice—ending conflict by restoring what was unlawfully taken.