Shloka 5

Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)

Devanagari script

रामलक्ष्मणसुग्रीवा: शरस्पर्श न तेडनघ । समर्था: प्रतिसोढुुं च कुतस्तदनुयायिन:,“अनघ! स्वयं राम, लक्ष्मण और सुग्रीव भी तुम्हारे बाणोंका आघात सहन करनेमें समर्थ नहीं हैं, फिर उनके अनुयायी तो हो ही कैसे सकते हैं?

Transliteration

rāma-lakṣmaṇa-sugrīvāḥ śara-sparśaṁ na te ’n-agha | samarthāḥ pratisoḍhuṁ ca kutas tad-anuyāyinaḥ ||

Translation

അനഘാ! രാമനും ലക്ഷ്മണനും സുഗ്രീവനും തന്നെയും നിന്റെ ശരസ്പർശം സഹിക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല; പിന്നെ അവരുടെ അനുയായികൾ എങ്ങനെ സഹിക്കും?

Word by Word

रामRama

लक्ष्मणLakshmana

सुग्रीवाःSugrivas (Sugriva and his side/people)

शरof an arrow

स्पर्शtouch, contact

नnot

तेof you, your

अनघO sinless one

समर्थाःcapable

प्रतिसोढुम्to endure, to withstand

चand

कुतःwhence? how (could it be)?

तत्that (then)

अनुयायिनःfollowers

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Rāma

Lakṣmaṇa

Sugrīva

arrows (śara)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses comparative praise to highlight overwhelming martial prowess: if even the foremost leaders cannot endure the opponent’s arrows, ordinary followers are even less able. Ethically, it underscores realistic assessment of strength and the danger of reckless escalation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a “blameless” person and emphasizes the irresistible force of that person’s arrows, stating that even Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sugrīva could not bear their impact—thereby implying the futility of resistance by their attendants.