Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 5, Shloka 11

चन्द्रप्रकाशे लङ्कानिरीक्षणम्

Moonlit Survey of Lanka and the Unfound Sita

Devanagari script

परस्परं चाधिकमाक्षिपन्ति भुजांश्च पीनानधिकं क्षिपन्ति।मत्तप्रलापानधिकं क्षिपन्ति मत्तानि चान्योन्यमधिक्षिपन्ति।।5.5.11।।

Transliteration

parasparaṁ cādhikam ākṣipanti bhujāṁś ca pīnān adhikaṁ kṣipanti |mattapralāpān adhikaṁ kṣipanti mattāni cānyonyam adhikṣipanti ||5.5.11||

Translation

酔いに任せて彼らは互いを手厳しく嘲り、太い腕を度を越して振り回し、酔いの戯れ言を吐き散らし、酩酊のままに相手を罵り合った。

Word by Word

• parasparam: mutually
• parasparam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative); ‘mutually’

• ca: and
• ca: Sam uccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• adhikam: excessively
• adhikam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative) ‘excessively’

• ākṣipanti: revile/taunt
• ākṣipanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

• bhujān: arms
• bhujān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sam uccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• pīnān: stout
• pīnān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana (qualifying bhujān)

• adhikam: excessively
• adhikam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb ‘excessively’

• kṣipanti: throw/brandish
• kṣipanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

• matta-pralāpān: drunken prattle
• matta-pralāpān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matta (प्रातिपदिक) + pralāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: ‘drunken talk’; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• adhikam: excessively
• adhikam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• kṣipanti: hurl/utter
• kṣipanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

• mattāni: drunken acts/insults
• mattāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakalिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; ‘intoxications/drunken acts’ (object)

• ca: and
• ca: Sam uccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• anyonyam: one another
• anyonyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative) ‘one another’

• adhikṣipanti: abuse/quarrel with
• adhikṣipanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

Context

The intoxicated demons were quarrelling, ridiculing one another bitterly and wildly throwing their stout arms on one another, indulging in incoherent talk, uttering vulgar words.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rākṣasas (demons)

FAQs

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

Dharma requires restraint in speech and conduct; intoxication leads to loss of satya (truthful, measured speech) and to हिंसा/hostility, shown here as mutual abuse.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān witnesses rākṣasas in their revelry, behaving violently and abusively toward one another.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast, Hanumān’s composure and self-control are highlighted: he observes without being drawn into the chaos.