Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 3, Shloka 47

लङ्काप्रवेशः

Hanuman Enters Lanka and Encounters Laṅkā-devatā

Devanagari script

यदा त्वां वानरः कश्चिद्विक्रमाद्वशमानयेत्।।।।तदा त्वया हि विज्ञेयं रक्षसां भयमागतम्।

Transliteration

yadā tvāṃ vānaraḥ kaścid vikramād vaśam ānayēt | tadā tvayā hi vijñeyaṃ rakṣasāṃ bhayam āgatam ||

Translation

もしあるヴァーナラが、ただその武勇によって汝を屈し、己が支配のもとに置くなら、その時知るがよい――恐れ、まさに滅びが、羅刹たちに到来したのだと。

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, temporal conjunction

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā Ekavacana

• vānaraḥ: a monkey
• vānaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• kaścit: someone/any
• kaścit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaścid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; indefinite pronoun qualifying vānaraḥ

• vikramāt: from (his) prowess
• vikramāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (पञ्चमी) Ekavacana; ablative of cause ‘due to valor’

• vaśam: into subjection
• vaśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaśa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; object complement with ānayet

• ānayet: should bring/overpower
• ānayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Prathama-puruṣa Ekavacana; parasmaipada; ā- + √nī ‘would bring’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb ‘then’

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tṛtīyā Ekavacana; instrumental (agent/experiencer) with vijñeyam

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) causal/emphatic

• vijñeyam: should be known
• vijñeyam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत् sense), here -ya (य) from vi-√jñā; Napuṃsaka, Prathamā Ekavacana; predicate ‘is to be known’

• rakṣasām: of the demons
• rakṣasām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī Bahuvacana; genitive plural

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā Ekavacana; subject of implied ‘(asti)’ with āgatam

• āgatam: has come/arrived
• āgatam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: Kta past participle from ā-√gam; Napuṃsaka, Prathamā Ekavacana; agrees with bhayam

Context

'When a vanara vanquishes you by his prowess, you may know that destruction of ogres will set in.

Characters & Entities

• Vānara (monkey clan)
• Rākṣasas
• Laṅkā
• Hanumān

FAQs

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

Adharma carries inevitable consequences: when a righteous force gains entry and mastery, it signals the collapse of unjust power.

What is the narrative situation?

The boon/prophecy is stated: Laṅkā’s subjugation by a vānara is the sign that calamity for the rākṣasas has begun.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment (viveka): recognizing signs of truth and the moral direction of events.