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Shloka 2

षट्चत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Ravana Deploys Five Generals; Hanuman Destroys the Commanders and the Remaining Host

स विरूपाक्षयूपाक्षौ दुर्धरं चैव राक्षसम्।प्रघसं भासकर्णं च पञ्चसेनाग्रनायकान्।।।।सन्दिदेश दशग्रीवो वीरान्नयविशारदान्।हनुमद्ग्रहणव्यग्रान्वायुवेगसमान्युधि।।।।

sa virūpākṣayūpākṣau durdharaṃ caiva rākṣasam | praghasaṃ bhāsakarṇaṃ ca pañca-senāgra-nāyakān || sandideśa daśagrīvo vīrān naya-viśāradān | hanumad-grahaṇa-vyagrān vāyu-vega-samān yudhi ||

അപ്പോൾ ദശഗ്രീവനായ രാവണൻ വിരൂപാക്ഷൻ, യൂപാക്ഷൻ, ദുര്ധരൻ, പ്രഘാസൻ, ഭാസകർണൻ എന്നീ അഞ്ചു അഗ്രസേനാനായകരെ ആജ്ഞാപിച്ചു; നയനിപുണരും പരാക്രമശാലികളും ഹനുമാനെ പിടികൂടാൻ വ്യഗ്രരുമായ, യുദ്ധത്തിൽ വായുവേഗസമന്മാരായ വീരന്മാരെ അയച്ചു.

सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
विरूपाक्षयूपाक्षौVirupaksha and Yupaksha
विरूपाक्षयूपाक्षौ:
Karma (कर्म/Object; of सन्दिदेश)
TypeNoun
Rootविरूपाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + यूपाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (two names)
दुर्धरम्hard to resist
दुर्धरम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण राक्षसम्
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)
एवalso / indeed
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphasis)
राक्षसम्the rakshasa (Durdhara)
राक्षसम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootराक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
प्रघसम्Praghasa
प्रघसम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रघस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (नाम)
भासकर्णम्Bhaskarna
भासकर्णम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootभासकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (नाम; कर्मधारय-रूप)
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)
पञ्चसेनाग्रनायकान्five vanguard commanders
पञ्चसेनाग्रनायकान्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootपञ्च (संख्या) + सेना (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सेनायाः अग्रे नायकाः) with द्विगु-पूर्वपद ‘पञ्च’ (five)
सन्दिदेशcommanded / dispatched
सन्दिदेश:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्+दिश् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
दशग्रीवःTen-necked (Ravana)
दशग्रीवः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootदशग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक: दश + ग्रीव)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (one who has ten necks/heads)
वीरान्heroes / warriors
वीरान्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootवीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
नयविशारदान्skilled in strategy
नयविशारदान्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनय (प्रातिपदिक) + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (skilled in policy/statecraft); विशेषण वीरान्
हनुमद्ग्रहणव्यग्रान्eager to seize Hanuman
हनुमद्ग्रहणव्यग्रान्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootहनुमत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (eager for the capture of Hanuman); विशेषण वीरान्
वायुवेगसमान्equal to wind in speed
वायुवेगसमान्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootवायु (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक) + समान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (equal to the speed of wind); विशेषण वीरान्
युधिin battle
युधि:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootयुध् (प्रातिपदिक: युद्ध)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (छान्दस/वैदिक रूप: युधि = युद्धे)

The ten-headed Ravana, eager to capture Hanuman, commanded his five army Generals called Virupaksha, Yupaksha, Durdhara, Praghasa and Bhaskarna, who were great warrior-statesmen valiant and, equal to wind in speed.

R
Rāvaṇa (Daśagrīva)
H
Hanumān
V
Vīrūpākṣa
Y
Yūpākṣa
D
Durdhara
P
Praghāsa
B
Bhāsakarṇa

FAQs

The verse highlights rājadharma in form (organized command) but adharma in aim: power and strategy, when directed toward an unrighteous cause (capturing the messenger of a just mission), become instruments of moral downfall.

Rāvaṇa responds to Hanumān’s presence and destruction in Laṅkā by dispatching five elite generals to capture him.

Strategic capacity and command are emphasized—yet as a cautionary example: competence without dharmic orientation can serve injustice.