Shloka 17

धूम्राक्षप्रेषणम्

The Dispatch of Dhūmrākṣa

Devanagari script

निष्फलाःखलुसम्वृत्ताश्शराःवासुकितेजसः ।अदत्तंयैस्तुसङ्ग्रामेरिपूणांजीवितंमम ।।6.51.17।।

Transliteration

niṣphalāḥ khalu saṃvṛttāḥ śarāḥ vāsuki-tejasaḥ |

adattaṃ yais tu saṅgrāme ripūṇāṃ jīvitaṃ mama ||6.51.17||

Translation

まことに、ヴァースキのごとく輝くあの矢は無駄となった。戦場において、それらによって我が敵の命は奪われるべきであったのに。

Word by Word

• niṣphalāḥ: fruitless
• niṣphalāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣphala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; qualifying śarāḥ

• khalu: indeed
• khalu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khalu (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अनुनय-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• saṃvṛttāḥ: have become
• saṃvṛttāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√vṛt (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (past active participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘have become’

• śarāḥ: arrows
• śarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• vāsuki-tejasaḥ: of Vāsuki-like brilliance
• vāsuki-tejasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāsuki + tejas (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (‘having the brilliance of Vāsuki’) qualifying śarāḥ

• adattam: not taken away
• adattam: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-√dā (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as predicate adjective ‘not given (i.e., not taken away)’

• yaiḥ: by which
• yaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; referring to śarāḥ

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• saṅgrāme: in battle
• saṅgrāme: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ripūṇām: of the enemies
• ripūṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ripu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; object of implied ‘to take away’

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन

Context

Having said so, hissing Ravana called Dhumraksha to the midst.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Vāsuki
• Rāma (implied as enemy)
• Lakṣmaṇa (implied as enemy)

FAQs

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

Dharma asserts that unjust intent undermines efficacy: weapons and brilliance cannot guarantee results when opposed by righteous destiny and disciplined virtue.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa laments that the powerful arrows associated with Indrajit’s assault did not accomplish their expected lethal purpose.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is rakṣaṇa of dharma (protection of righteousness) on Rāma’s side: even formidable attacks fail to end the righteous mission.