Shloka 57

कुम्भकर्णोपदेशः

Kumbhakarna’s Counsel and War-Boast to Ravana

Devanagari script

वधेनतेदाशरथेःसुखार्हंसुखंसमाहर्तुमहंव्रजामि ।निहत्यरामंसहलक्ष्मणेनखादामिन्हरियूथमुख्यान् ।।6.63.57।।

Transliteration

vadhena te dāśaratheḥ sukhārhaṃ sukhaṃ samāhartum ahaṃ vrajāmi |

nihatya rāmaṃ saha-lakṣmaṇena khādāmi hari-yūtha-mukhyān ||6.63.57||

Translation

「ダシャラタの子ラーマを討って、汝が当然とみなす幸福を汝のために取り集めに行く。ラーマをラクシュマナとともに打ち倒したのち、ヴァーナラ軍の先頭に立つ名だたる将たちを喰らい尽くそう。」

Word by Word

• rāma: O Rāma
• rāma: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana (singular)

• sva-rājan: O my king
• sva-rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva-rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana (singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (svaḥ rājan = ‘own king’/‘my king’)

• piba: drink
• piba: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana (singular), Parasmaipada

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• adya: today / now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (adverb of time)

• vāruṇīm: Vāruṇī liquor
• vāruṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāruṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (feminine), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (singular)

• kuruṣva: do / perform
• kuruṣva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana (singular), Ātmanepada

• kṛtyāni: duties / tasks
• kṛtyāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka (neuter), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Bahuvacana (plural)

• vinīyatām: let (it) be restrained / controlled
• vinīyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√nī (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (Imperative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (singular), Ātmanepada; karmaṇi-prayoga (passive/impersonal: ‘let it be led/controlled’)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (singular)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Ekavacana (singular)

• adya: today / now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (adverb of time)

• rāme: when/with respect to Rāma
• rāme: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine), Saptamī-vibhakti (Locative/7th), Ekavacana (singular)

• gamite: when (he) has been made to go / when (he) is gone
• gamite: Saptamī-samāna-kāla (सप्तमी-समास/locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gamita (कृदन्त; √gam, णिच्/causative sense)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga (masculine), Saptamī-vibhakti (Locative/7th), Ekavacana (singular); locative absolute with rāme

• yam: Yama (god of death)
• yam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (singular)

• akṣyam: imperishable / inexhaustible
• akṣyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka (neuter), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (singular)

• cirāya: for long
• cirāya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cirāya (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (adverb: ‘for a long time’)

• sītā: Sītā
• sītā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (feminine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (singular)

• vaśagā: submissive / under control
• vaśagā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaśa-gā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (feminine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (vaśam gatā = having come under control)

• gāti: goes / comes
• gāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (singular), Parasmaipada; form uncertain due to corrupt transmission

Context

"The king who does his duty in time in accordance with justice and thinking intelligently with his ministers, understands rightly."

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhakarṇa
• Rāma (Dāśarathi)
• Daśaratha
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Vānara leaders (hari-yūtha-mukhyāḥ)

FAQs

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

Loyalty is not automatically dharmic; when loyalty serves injustice, it becomes complicity in adharma—contrasting with righteous service aligned to truth.

What is the narrative situation?

Kumbhakarṇa declares he will fight for Rāvaṇa’s sake, specifically targeting Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and the Vānara commanders.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage and loyalty, but portrayed as ethically misdirected because the cause is unrighteous.