Valmiki Ramayana 6.49.20: Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 49, Shloka 20

शरबन्धनविलापः

The Lament under the Net of Arrows

Setting: Lanka battlefield (Yuddhakanda)Places named: Lanka

Devanagari script

विससर्जैकवेगेनपञ्चबाणशतानियः ।

इष्वस्त्रष्वधिकस्तस्मात्कार्तवीर्याच्चलक्ष्मणः ॥२०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 6.49.20

Transliteration

visasarjaikavegena pañca bāṇaśatāni yaḥ |

iṣvastreṣv adhikas tasmāt kārtavīryāc ca lakṣmaṇaḥ ||20||

Translation

एक ही बार में उसने पाँच सौ तीर चलाए। इसलिए लक्ष्मण धनुष चलाने में कार्तवीर्य से भी आगे निकल गया।

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Word by Word

• visasarja: released, discharged
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• ekavegena: with a single impetus/at one speed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; समासः—एकः वेगः यस्य/एकेन वेगेन (in one rush/impulse)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• pañca: five
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (numeral used in compound)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• bāṇaśatāni: hundreds of arrows
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचनम्; समासः—बाणानां शतानि (hundreds of arrows)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• yaḥ: he who
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• iṣvastraṣu: in (the use of) arrows and weapons
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣu (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वः—इषवः च अस्त्राणि च (in arrows and weapons / in missile-weapons)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Compound: Dvandva

• adhikaḥ: superior
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचनम्; तुलनार्थकः (comparative sense: superior)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• tasmāt: therefore; from that (reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मादर्थे (therefore/from that)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)

• kārtavīryāt: than Kārtavīrya / from Kārtavīrya
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtavīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचनम्
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakṣmaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचनम्
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• visasarjaikavegena → visasarja ekavegena
• pañcabāṇaśatāniyaḥ → pañca bāṇaśatāni yaḥ
• iṣvastraṣvadhikaḥ → iṣvastraṣu adhikaḥ
• kārtavīryāccalakṣmaṇaḥ → kārtavīryāt ca lakṣmaṇaḥ

Context

"He who, in one go released five hundred arrows (with two hand s) is therefore superior to Kartaveerya (with thousand hands) releasing the same arrows."

The teaching

Skill used in righteous cause becomes a measure of excellence; disciplined speed and accuracy are forms of kṣatriya-dharma.

Ethical theme

Kṣatriya-dharma, yuddha-nīti

Devotion and practice

Inspires dhairya and ekāgratā (one-pointedness) in practice; channeling energy into dharmic action.

Deity praised

Lakshmana (as vīra-bhakta)

Form of praise

Stuti (a hymn of praise)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Martial, exalting, swift

Themes

• Itihasa
• Dharma
• Ethics

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmana
• Kartavirya

FAQs

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

Dharma includes honoring merit truthfully: excellence and disciplined skill used in righteous service should be acknowledged without envy.

What is the narrative situation?

Amid the crisis of Lakṣmaṇa lying struck down, allies recall and proclaim his extraordinary prowess in archery.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial excellence yoked to righteous purpose—skill (kauśala) in service of dharma.