Shloka 17

अरण्यकाण्डे द्वात्रिंशः सर्गः

Śūrpaṇakhā’s Report to Rāvaṇa and the Panegyric of His Might

Devanagari script

दशवर्षसहस्राणि तपस्तप्वा महावने।पुरा स्वयंभुवे धीरश्शिरांस्युपजहार यः।।।।

Transliteration

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi tapas taptvā mahāvane |

purā svayaṃbhuve dhīraḥ śirāṃsy upajahāra yaḥ ||

Translation

അവൻ മഹാവനത്തിൽ പത്തായിരം വർഷം തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു; ധീരനായി പുരാകാലത്ത് സ്വയംഭൂ (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്)നു തന്റെ തലകൾ അർപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• daśa-varṣa-sahasrāṇi: ten thousand years
• daśa-varṣa-sahasrāṇi: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: daśa varṣāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi (ten thousands of years) used as duration-accusative

• tapaḥ: penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of tapvā (performed penance)

• tapvā: having performed
• tapvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (तप् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: absolutive (क्त्वा): 'having performed (austerity)'

• mahā-vane: in the great forest
• mahā-vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: mahad vanaṃ (in the great forest)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (कालवाचक): 'formerly/once'

• svayaṃ-bhuve: to the Self-born (Brahmā)
• svayaṃ-bhuve: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayam (अव्यय) + bhū (धातु) -> svayaṃbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Caturthī (4th/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana; avyayībhāva: svayam bhavati iti svayaṃbhū (the Self-born, Brahmā); dative of recipient

• dhīraḥ: steadfast
• dhīraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifying yaḥ

• śirāṃsi: heads
• śirāṃsi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• upajahāra: offered
• upajahāra: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√hṛ (हृ धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra, 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada; 'offered/brought near'

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

Context

This steadfast Ravana who had in the past performed penance for ten thousand years in a dense forest offered his heads to the self-born Brahma.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• mahāvana (great forest)

FAQs

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

Tapas (austerity) is spiritually potent, but Dharma requires that such power be governed by right intention and welfare of beings. The Ramayana repeatedly shows that spiritual attainments without ethical restraint can become instruments of adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration highlights Rāvaṇa’s past austerities and extreme offerings to Brahmā, explaining the source of his boons and consequent fearlessness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Resolve and endurance (dhairya) in austerity—though later contrasted with moral failure, showing that discipline alone is not the same as righteousness.