Shloka 256

Devanagari script

स भृशं ताडयामास रावणिर्मायया5<वृत: । रावणकुमार अपनी मायासे आवृत होनेके कारण स्वयं किसीकी दृष्टिमें नहीं आता था; परंतु वह उन दोनों भाइयोंको तथा सम्पूर्ण वानरोंको भी निरन्तर अपने बाणोंद्वारा घायल कर रहा था

Transliteration

sa bhṛśaṃ tāḍayāmāsa rāvaṇir māyayāvṛtaḥ |

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: Terselubung oleh sihirnya, putra Rāvaṇa menghantam dengan sangat ganas. Karena tertutup māyā ia tak tampak oleh siapa pun; namun ia terus-menerus melukai kedua saudara itu dan seluruh pasukan vānarā dengan hujan panahnya.

Word by Word

सःhe

भृशम्excessively, fiercely

ताडयामासstruck, smote

रावणिःRāvaṇi (son of Rāvaṇa)

माययाby illusion, by magic

आवृतःcovered, concealed

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Rāvaṇi (son of Rāvaṇa, i.e., Indrajit/Meghanāda)

Rāvaṇa

the two brothers (Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, implied by context)

Vānaras (monkey-warriors)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how māyā (deceptive concealment) can intensify harm in conflict, implying an ethical contrast between straightforward valor and covert aggression; it also underscores the need for steadiness and discernment when facing unseen or unfair threats.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāvaṇa’s son, hidden by magical illusion, becomes invisible to others and repeatedly attacks—wounding the two principal brothers and the vānaras with continuous volleys of arrows.