Shloka 20

जम्बुमालिवधः

The Slaying of Jambumali

Devanagari script

स रोषसंवर्तितताम्रलोचनः प्रहस्तपुत्त्रे निहते महाबले।अमात्यपुत्त्रानतिवीर्यविक्रमान् समादिदेशाशु निशाचरेश्वरः।।।।

Transliteration

sa roṣasaṃvartita-tāmra-locanaḥ prahasta-puttre nihate mahābale | amātya-puttrān ati-vīrya-vikramān samādideśāśu niśācareśvaraḥ ||

Translation

പ്രഹസ്തന്റെ മഹാബലവാനായ പുത്രൻ വധിക്കപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ, ക്രോധത്തിൽ ചുവന്ന താമ്രനേത്രങ്ങളോടെ നിശാചരേശ്വരൻ അതിവീര്യവും വിക്രമവും ഉള്ള അമാത്യപുത്രന്മാരായ യോദ്ധാക്കളെ ഉടൻ ആജ്ഞാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• रोष-संवर्तित-ताम्र-लोचनः: whose eyes were copper-red, rolled/whirled in anger
• रोष-संवर्तित-ताम्र-लोचनः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Karta-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोष (प्रातिपदिक) + संवर्तित (कृदन्त; √वृत्/√वर्त्, क्त-प्रत्यय) + ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (possessive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) सः इति

• प्रहस्त-पुत्त्रे: when/where Prahasta's son (was)
• प्रहस्त-पुत्त्रे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative setting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्त्र/पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'Prahasta's son'), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• निहते: killed/slain
• निहते: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √हन् (धातु) + नि-उपसर्ग + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc/7th), एकवचन; प्रहस्तपुत्त्रे इति विशेषण

• महाबले: (who was) very strong
• महाबले: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('great-strong'), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc/7th), एकवचन; प्रहस्तपुत्त्रे इति विशेषण

• अमात्य-पुत्त्रान्: the ministers' sons
• अमात्य-पुत्त्रान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्त्र/पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('sons of ministers'), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अति-वीर्य-विक्रमān: of extraordinary prowess and valor
• अति-वीर्य-विक्रमān: कर्म-विशेषण (Karma-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: 'exceeding in prowess and valor'), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), बहुवचन; अमात्यपुत्त्रान् इति विशेषण

• समादिदेश: commanded/ordered
• समादिदेश: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दिश् (धातु) + सम्-आ-उपसर्ग + लिट् (Perfect)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• निशाचर-ईश्वरः: the lord of the night-rangers (demon-king)
• निशाचर-ईश्वरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('lord of night-wanderers'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; सः इति समानाधिकरण

Context

Commanded by the demon king, Jambumali the invincible son of Prahasta, who had large teeth in front, big rolling eyes, red flower garland, red robes and a chaplet with beautiful earrings. He went round twanging his producing thunderous sound. His arrows were huge, shining and beautiful.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Prahasta
• Jāmbumālin

FAQs

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

A ruler’s dharma requires clarity and restraint; acting from rage leads to further harm and repeated escalation rather than wise resolution.

What is the narrative situation?

After Jāmbumālin’s death, Rāvaṇa responds by immediately deploying another wave of elite fighters—the ministers’ sons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negatively, Rāvaṇa’s lack of measured judgment; positively (implicitly), the narrative stresses the importance of calm discernment in leadership.