Shloka 18
शुकवाक्यं (Śuka’s Report on the Vānara Host) / Śuka Describes the Allied Forces to Rāvaṇa
यश्चैषोऽनन्तरश्शूरश्श्यामःपद्मनिभेक्षणः ।इक्ष्वाकूणामतिरथोलोकेविख्यातपौरुष ।।6.28.18।।यस्मिन्नचलतेधर्मोयोधर्मंनातिवर्तते ।योब्राह्ममस्त्रंवेदांश्चवेदवेदविदांवरः ।।6.28.19।।योभिन्द्याद्गगनंबाणैःपर्वतांश्चापिदारयेत् ।यस्यमृत्योरिवक्रोधश्शक्रस्येवपराक्रमः ।।6.28.20।।यस्यभार्याजनस्थानात्सीताचापिहृतात्वया ।सएषरामस्त्वांयोद्धुंराजन्समभिवर्तते ।।6.28.21।।
yaś caiṣo 'nantaraś śūraḥ śyāmaḥ padmanibhekṣaṇaḥ |
ikṣvākūṇām atiratho loke vikhyātapauruṣaḥ ||6.28.18||
yasminn acalate dharmo yo dharmaṃ nātivartate |
yo brāhmam astraṃ vedāṃś ca veda vedavidāṃ varaḥ ||6.28.19||
yo bhindyād gaganaṃ bāṇaiḥ parvatāṃś cāpi dārayet |
yasya mṛtyor iva krodhaḥ śakrasy eva parākramaḥ ||6.28.20||
yasya bhāryā janasthānāt sītā cāpi hṛtā tvayā |
sa eṣa rāmas tvāṃ yoddhuṃ rājan samabhivartate ||6.28.21||
Dan di dekatnya berdiri pahlawan itu—berkulit gelap, bermata laksana teratai—maharatha dari wangsa Ikṣvāku, termasyhur di dunia karena keperkasaan. Pada dirinya dharma tegak tak tergoyahkan; ia tidak melampaui kebenaran. Ia mengetahui senjata Brahmā dan juga Weda, yang utama di antara para ahli Weda. Dengan panahnya ia dapat menembus langit dan membelah gunung; murkanya bagaikan Maut, dan keberaniannya laksana Indra. Istrinya, Sītā, telah engkau culik dari Jana-sthāna—dialah Rāma itu, wahai Raja, yang kini maju untuk bertempur melawanmu.
"This monkey is intending to demolish this Lanka single handed. How can you forget about (the task of) setting his tail on fire entrusted by you to Dhoomakethu?"
FAQs
Rāma is presented as dharma-incarnate in conduct: steadfast righteousness, self-restraint, and legitimacy of action—his war is framed as a dharmic response to adharma (Sītā’s abduction).
Śuka identifies Rāma to Rāvaṇa and warns him that the very man whose wife was abducted is now approaching Laṅkā to wage war.
Rāma’s unwavering dharma (non-transgression of righteousness), combined with heroic capability—power governed by moral law.