Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततस्ते राक्षसाः प्राप्ता बलिनो युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः।रक्षणार्थं तु देहस्य प्रतियुद्धा मया रणे।।।।

Transliteration

tatas te rākṣasāḥ prāptā balino yuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ |

rakṣaṇārthaṃ tu dehasya pratiyuddhā mayā raṇe ||

Translation

“പിന്നീട് യുദ്ധം ആഗ്രഹിച്ച ശക്തരായ ആ രാക്ഷസർ വന്നു; യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ ഞാൻ എന്റെ ശരീരരക്ഷയ്ക്കായി മാത്രം പ്രതിയുദ്ധം ചെയ്തു.”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (thereupon/then)

• te: those
• te: Viśeṣaṇa of Karta (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• rākṣasāḥ: demons
• rākṣasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana

• prāptāḥ: arrived
• prāptāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta-participle used predicatively; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana (they came/arrived)

• balinaḥ: strong
• balinaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa of Karta (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; agrees with rākṣasāḥ

• yuddha-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ: desiring to fight
• yuddha-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa of Karta (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāṅkṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (desiring battle)

• rakṣaṇa-artham: for protection
• rakṣaṇa-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; purpose-accusative (for the sake of protection)

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (relation/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (emphasis/contrast)

• dehasya: of (my) body
• dehasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th), Ekavacana

• pratiyuddhāḥ: were fought back / countered
• pratiyuddhāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√yudh (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta-participle used predicatively; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; here in sense 'counter-fought/engaged in return' (contextually with mayā)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛ (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana; agent/instrumental

• raṇe: in battle
• raṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana

Context

"Wishing to see the king I honoured this astra and not otherwise. Even though I was tormented by the ogres and released by the astra I submitted to you as I have a small work assigned by the king.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rāvaṇa
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

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

Justified force: violence is framed as defensive (ātma-rakṣā), not aggression—an ethical boundary on the use of strength.

What is the narrative situation?

After Hanumān’s provocations, rākṣasa warriors attack him; he explains that his fighting was retaliatory and defensive.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Restraint—Hanumān presents his combat as necessity, not cruelty.