Shloka 44
शुकवाक्यं (Śuka’s Report on the Vānara Host) / Śuka Describes the Allied Forces to Rāvaṇa
इमांमहाराजसमीक्ष्यवाहिनीमुपस्थितांप्रज्वलितग्रहोपमाम् ।ततःप्रयत्नःपरमोविधीयतांयथाजयस्स्यान्नपरैःपराजयः ।।6.28.44।।
imāṃ mahārāja samīkṣya vāhinīm upasthitāṃ prajvalita-grahopamām |
tataḥ prayatnaḥ paramo vidhīyatāṃ yathā jayaḥ syān na paraiḥ parājayaḥ ||6.28.44||
Wahai Maharaja, melihat bala tentara ini yang telah tersusun dekat—mengerikan bagaikan planet yang menyala—hendaklah dikerahkan upaya yang paling luhur, agar kemenangan menjadi milik kita dan bukan kekalahan oleh musuh.
"O Great King! Observing the ocean of army close by their appearing cruel like a blazing planet, make supreme efforts to be victorious and not to be defeated in the hands of the enemy."।। ityārṣēvālmīkīyēśrīmadrāmāyaṇēādikāvyēyuddhakāṇḍēaṣṭāviṅśassargaḥ ।।This is the end of the twenty eighth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.
FAQs
It frames war as requiring disciplined, purposeful effort aimed at a just outcome—securing victory through resolve rather than falling into ruin through negligence—echoing the dharmic ideal of steadfast duty (kartavya) in crisis.
Satya appears as clear-eyed realism: the speaker urges the king to acknowledge the true danger of the opposing force and respond with sincere, maximum exertion, rather than self-deception that would lead to defeat.