Shloka 35

अक्षवधः (The Slaying of Prince Aksha)

Sundarakāṇḍa Sarga 47

Devanagari script

स तं समाविध्य सहस्रशः कपिर्महोरगं गृह्य इवाण्डजेश्वरः।मुमोच वेगात्पितृतुल्यविक्रमो महीतले संयति वानरोत्तमः।।5.47.35।।

Transliteration

sa taṃ samāvidhya sahasraśaḥ kapir mahoragaṃ gṛhya ivāṇḍajeśvaraḥ |

mumo ca vegāt pitṛtulyavikramaḥ mahītale saṃyati vānarottamaḥ ||5.47.35||

Translation

പിതൃതുല്യ പരാക്രമമുള്ള വാനരോത്തമൻ, മഹാസർപ്പത്തെ ഗരുഡൻ പിടിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ പിടിച്ച്, ആയിരം പ്രാവശ്യം ചുഴറ്റി വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും പ്രഹരിച്ചു; പിന്നെ യുദ്ധമദ്ധ്യേ വേഗത്തോടെ ഭൂമിതലത്തിലേക്ക് വിട്ടെറിഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

सःhe

तम्him

समाविध्यhaving struck/pierced

सहस्रशःa thousand times; repeatedly

कपिःthe monkey (Hanuman)

महोरगम्the great serpent

गृह्यhaving seized

इवas if; like

अण्डजेश्वरःthe lord of birds (Garuda)

मुमोचreleased; dropped; let go

वेगात्from/with speed; swiftly

पितृतुल्यविक्रमःone whose valor was like his father's

महीतलेon the ground; on the earth's surface

संयतिin battle

वानरोत्तमःthe foremost of the vanaras

Context

Hanuman, the foremost of the vanaras who was equal to his father in valour, seized him just as Garuda, the lord of birds, would seize a great serpent. And spinning him round speedily a thousand times and hitting him, dropped him on the earth.

Characters & Entities

Hanumān

Akṣa

Garuḍa

Mahoraga (great serpent)

Vāyu (implied by pitṛ-)

FAQs

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

When adharma-driven aggression confronts a dharma-aligned mission, the narrative underscores decisive restraint-through-force: evil is checked so it cannot continue harming.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān seizes Akṣa, whirls and strikes him repeatedly, and then hurls him down to the ground.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Overmatch in strength coupled with unwavering purpose—Hanumān’s capacity to end a threat conclusively.