Shloka 12

जटायुरावणयुद्धम्

Jatayu’s Combat with Ravana

Devanagari script

ततोऽन्यद्धनुरादाय रावणः क्रोधमूर्छितः।ववर्ष शरवर्षाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः।।।।

Transliteration

tato ’nyad dhanur ādāya rāvaṇaḥ krodha-mūrcchitaḥ |

vavarṣa śara-varṣāṇi śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

പിന്നീട് ക്രോധത്തിൽ മൂഢനായ രാവണൻ മറ്റൊരു വില്ല് എടുത്ത്, നൂറുകളായും ആയിരങ്ങളായും അമ്പുകളുടെ മഴ പെയ്ത്തു.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Krama-avyaya (क्रम-अव्यय)

• anyat: another
• anyat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of dhanuḥ

• dhanuḥ: bow
• dhanuḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object of ādāya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया/Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु; with ā- prefix, ‘to take’)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्) of ā-√dā/√dā ‘having taken’; avyaya usage

• rāvaṇaḥ: Ravana
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• krodha-mūrchitaḥ: overcome with anger
• krodha-mūrchitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krodha + mūrchita (प्रातिपदिक; PPP)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa ‘fainted/overcome by anger’; Kṛdanta: Kta (क्त) of √mūrch (मूर्छ्); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of rāvaṇaḥ

• vavarṣa: rained, showered
• vavarṣa: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (वृष् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• śara-varṣāṇi: showers of arrows
• śara-varṣāṇi: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa ‘shower of arrows’; Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds
• śataśaḥ: Parimāṇa (परिमाण/Measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śataśaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Parimāṇa-avyaya (परिमाण-अव्यय; distributive adverb)

• atha: and then
• atha: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya/krama-avyaya (समुच्चय/क्रम-अव्यय)

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Parimāṇa (परिमाण/Measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Parimāṇa-avyaya (परिमाण-अव्यय; distributive adverb)

Context

Overcome with anger, Ravana took another bow and rained (on him) hundreds and thousands of arrows.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• arrows (śara)
• Jatāyu (implied opponent)

FAQs

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

Unchecked anger (krodha) drives excess and cruelty; it is portrayed as a force that overwhelms judgment and intensifies harm.

What is the narrative situation?

After losing one bow, Rāvaṇa re-arms and unleashes massive volleys of arrows at Jatāyu.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast, the verse highlights the absence of virtue in Rāvaṇa—loss of self-control and moral restraint.