Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अड्गुष्ठमात्रो भूत्वा च पुनरेव स राक्षस:

Transliteration

aṅguṣṭhamātro bhūtvā ca punareva sa rākṣasaḥ

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಆ ರಾಕ್ಷಸನು ಅಂಗುಷ್ಟಮಾತ್ರನಾಗಿ, ಮತ್ತೆ (ತನ್ನ ರೂಪವನ್ನು) ಪಡೆದನು.

Word by Word

• अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः: thumb-sized
• अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठमात्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राक्षसः: the demon (rākṣasa)
• राक्षसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• rākṣasa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how deceptive power and shape-shifting can be used to gain advantage in war, raising a dharmic tension: victory pursued through illusion and stealth often signals moral danger and the erosion of straightforward kṣatriya conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a rākṣasa temporarily reduces himself to a thumb-sized form and then returns to his previous form, implying a tactical transformation—likely to evade notice, infiltrate, or strike unexpectedly.