Shloka 71

युद्धलक्षण-निमित्तदर्शनं तथा लङ्काद्वारव्यूहः

War Omens and the Encirclement of Lanka’s Gates

Devanagari script

युध्यस्ववाधृतिंकृत्वाशौर्यमालम्ब्यराक्षस ।मच्छरैस्त्वंरणेशान्तस्ततःशान्तोभविष्यसि ।।6.41.71।।

Transliteration

yudhyasva vā dhṛtiṃ kṛtvā śauryam ālambya rākṣasa |

maccharais tvaṃ raṇe śāntas tataḥ śānto bhaviṣyasi ||6.41.71||

Translation

ಓ ರಾಕ್ಷಸಾ! ಧೈರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡು ಯುದ್ಧಮಾಡು; ಶೌರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಆಧರಿಸು. ರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನನ್ನ ಬಾಣಗಳು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ‘ನಿಶ್ಶಬ್ದ’ಗೊಳಿಸುವವು; ನಂತರ ನೀನು ‘ಶಾಂತಿ’ಯನ್ನು (ಮರಣದಲ್ಲಿ) ಪಡೆಯುವಿ.

Word by Word

• yudhyasva: fight
• yudhyasva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yudh (युध् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• dhṛtim: fortitude
• dhṛtim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having made/taken
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having done)

• śauryam: valour
• śauryam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaurya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• ālambya: having resorted to
• ālambya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-lamb (आ-लम्ब् धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund), अर्थः—आश्रित्य/आलम्ब्य (having resorted to)

• rākṣasa: O Rakshasa
• rākṣasa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• mat-śaraiḥ: with my arrows
• mat-śaraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मम शराः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Kartr̥ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• raṇe: in battle
• raṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• śāntaḥ: calmed
• śāntaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; śam (शम्) धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), काल/अनन्तर (then/thereafter)

• śāntaḥ: peaceful
• śāntaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; śam धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भविष्यसि इत्यस्य विशेषण

• bhaviṣyasi: you will become
• bhaviṣyasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

"O Rakshasa! You are resorting to fortitude and valour and embracing gallantry in war. By my arrows you will obtain peace (in death)."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rāvaṇa
• arrows (śara)
• battle (raṇa)

FAQs

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

When adharma refuses correction, the kṣatriya duty is decisive confrontation. The verse also underscores accountability: the battlefield becomes the arena where wrongdoing meets its terminal consequence.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma concludes his address by urging Rāvaṇa to fight with courage, while stating that Rāvaṇa will be silenced by Rāma’s arrows and thus attain ‘peace’ only through death.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s martial righteousness: he neither retreats from combat nor relinquishes moral framing—victory is presented as the enforcement of dharma.