Shloka 21

रावणस्यात्मप्रशंसा लङ्कावर्णनं च

Ravana’s Self-Praise and the Description of Lanka

Devanagari script

कथं वैश्रवणं देवं सर्वभूतनमस्कृतम्।भ्रातरं व्यपदिश्य त्वमशुभं कर्तुमिच्छसि।।।।

Transliteration

kathaṃ vaiśravaṇaṃ devaṃ sarva-bhūta-namaskṛtam |

bhrātaraṃ vyapadiśya tvam aśubhaṃ kartum icchasi ||

Translation

സകലഭൂതങ്ങളും നമസ്കരിക്കുന്ന വൈശ്രവണ ദേവനെ ‘സഹോദരൻ’ എന്നു വിളിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്, നീ എങ്ങനെ അശുഭകർമ്മം ചെയ്യാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• वैश्रवणम्: Vaishravana (Kubera)
• वैश्रवणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; proper noun (Kubera)

• देवम्: god
• देवम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; apposition to वैश्रवणम्

• सर्व-भूत-नमस्कृतम्: worshipped by all beings
• सर्व-भूत-नमस्कृतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + नमस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √कृ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वैः भूतैः नमस्कृतम्); पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; agrees with देवम्

• भ्रातरम्: brother
• भ्रातरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; in apposition to वैश्रवणम्

• व्यपदिश्य: having cited/claiming (as)
• व्यपदिश्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दिश् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग) + अप (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund); ‘having referred to/claiming’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• अशुभम्: an inauspicious deed
• अशुभम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• इच्छसि: desire
• इच्छसि: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; parasmaipada

Context

For some reason or other a duel took place between me and king Kubera. With my prowess, I defeated him in the duel.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa
• Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

FAQs

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

Dharma demands consistency between one’s claims and one’s conduct; invoking a revered relation while doing evil exposes hypocrisy and adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā challenges Rāvaṇa’s self-presentation and questions the moral contradiction in his actions.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Ethical clarity—Sītā distinguishes auspicious conduct (śubha) from inauspicious acts (aśubha).