Shloka 17

द्वन्द्वयुद्धप्रवृत्तिः

Dvandva-Yuddha: The Onset of Single Combats

Devanagari script

हरिराक्षसदेहेभ्यःप्रभूताःकेशशाद्वलाः ।शरीरसङ्घाटावहाःप्रसुस्रुश्शोणितापगाः ।।6.43.17।।

Transliteration

harirākṣasa-dehebhyaḥ prabhūtāḥ keśaśādvalāḥ |

śarīrasaṅghāṭāvahāḥ prasusruḥ śoṇitāpagāḥ ||

Translation

वानरों और राक्षसों के शरीरों से प्रचुर रक्त-धाराएँ बह निकलीं—जिनमें केश तृण-समूह के समान घने थे और जो शव-समूहों को लकड़ियों की भाँति बहा ले जाती थीं।

Word by Word

हरिof the monkeys

राक्षसदेहेभ्यःfrom the bodies of rakshasas

प्रभूताःabundant

केशशाद्वलाःmatted with hair (like grass)

शरीरसङ्घाटावहाःcarrying heaps of bodies

प्रसुस्रुःflowed forth

शोणितापगाःstreams/rivers of blood

Context

Enraged, Indrajith struck Angada with his mace, the destroyer of hostile forces which was like Indra who had done a hundred sacrifices, would strike with his thunderbolt.

Characters & Entities

Vānaras

Rākṣasas

FAQs

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

It underscores the cost of violence: Dharma-aware reading treats such imagery as a warning—war, even when necessary, produces grave suffering and should never be pursued for pride or greed.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator depicts the battlefield’s horror through vivid imagery of blood and fallen bodies.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a single virtue, but a sobering emphasis on discernment (viveka): recognizing the real consequences of conflict.