Shloka 1

अक्षवधः (The Slaying of Prince Aksha)

Sundarakāṇḍa Sarga 47

Devanagari script

सेनापतीन्पञ्च स तु प्रमापितान् हनूमता सानुचरान्सवाहनान्।समीक्ष्य राजा समरोद्धतोन्मुखं कुमारमक्षं प्रसमैक्षताग्रतः।।5.47.1।।

Transliteration

senāpatīn pañca sa tu pramāpitān hanūmatā sānucarān savāhanān |

samīkṣya rājā samaroddhatonmukhaṁ kumāram akṣaṁ prasamaikṣatāgrataḥ || 5.47.1 ||

Translation

ഹനുമാൻ അനുചരന്മാരോടും വാഹനങ്ങളോടും കൂടി അഞ്ചു സേനാപതികളെ വധിച്ചതെന്ന് കണ്ട രാജാവ്, യുദ്ധോത്സുകനായി മുന്നിൽ നിന്ന കുമാരൻ അക്ഷനിലേക്കു ദൃഷ്ടി പതിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• senāpatīn: army chiefs
• senāpatīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: senāpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral (सङ्ख्यावाचक), indeclinable-like in form here; qualifying senāpatīn = "five"

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) = "but/indeed"

• pramāpitān: killed
• pramāpitān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√mā (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Causative past participle (णिजन्त-क्त); Masculine, Accusative, Plural; "caused to be slain"

• hanūmatā: by Hanuman
• hanūmatā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hanumat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• sa-anucarān: with attendants
• sa-anucarān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह) + anucara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural; avyayībhāva: "anucaraiḥ saha"

• sa-vāhanān: with vehicles
• sa-vāhanān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह) + vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural; avyayībhāva: "vāhanaiḥ saha"

• samīkṣya: having seen
• samīkṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्) = "having seen"

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• samaroddhata-unmukham: eager and ready for battle
• samaroddhata-unmukham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samara + uddhata + unmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa (descriptive): "samare uddhataḥ (yuddhāya) unmukhaḥ"; qualifying kumāram akṣam

• kumāram: the prince
• kumāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• akṣam: Akṣa
• akṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; proper name (Akṣa)

• prasamaikṣata: looked at / turned his attention to
• prasamaikṣata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-sam-√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; "looked attentively/turned attention"

• agrataḥ: in front
• agrataḥ: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb = "in front"

Context

Hearing the sad news of death of the five army generals including their followers and destruction of their vehicles, King (Ravana) gave a suggestive look at prince Aksha who was inclined to fight the war.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rāvaṇa
• Akṣa (Akṣa-kumāra)
• Laṅkā (implied setting)

FAQs

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

Leadership bears responsibility for consequences: the king must respond to loss and protect the realm, yet the larger Ramayana frame implies that adharma-driven leadership (Rāvaṇa’s course) leads to escalating destruction.

What is the narrative situation?

After Hanumān kills key Laṅkā commanders, Rāvaṇa looks toward his son Akṣa as the next champion to confront the intruder.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial readiness (kṣātra spirit) in Akṣa, and decisive command in Rāvaṇa—though directed toward an unrighteous cause.