Shloka 18

लाङ्गूलदाह-पर्यटनम्

The Burning Tail and the Parade through Laṅkā

Devanagari script

शङ्खभेरीनिनादैस्तं घोषयन्तः स्वकर्मभिः।राक्षसाः क्रूरकर्माणश्चारयन्ति स्म तां पुरीम्।।5.53.18।।

Transliteration

śaṅkhabherīninādais taṁ ghoṣayantaḥ svakarmabhiḥ | rākṣasāḥ krūrakarmāṇaś cārayanti sma tāṁ purīm ||5.53.18||

Translation

ശംഖഭേരികളുടെ മുഴക്കത്തോടെ ഘോഷിച്ചു, ക്രൂരകർമ്മികളായ രാക്ഷസർ തങ്ങളുടെ കൃത്യം പ്രചരിപ്പിച്ച് അവനെ ആ നഗരത്തിലൂടെ പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്യിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• शङ्ख-भेरी-निनादैः: with conch-and-drum sounds
• शङ्ख-भेरी-निनादैः: करण (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + भेरी (प्रातिपदिक) + निनाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (शङ्खश्च भेरी च) + तत्पुरुषः (निनादैः = sounds)

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• घोषयन्तः: proclaiming/announcing
• घोषयन्तः: कर्तृ-विशेषण/सहायक-क्रिया (concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घोषय् (धातु; णिच् causative of घोष्)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘while proclaiming’

• स्वकर्मभिः: with their own actions
• स्वकर्मभिः: करण/सहकारि (means/with their acts)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-भावः ‘स्वानि कर्माणि’

• राक्षसाः: rakshasas
• राक्षसाः: कर्ता (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• क्रूरकर्माणः: cruel-doing
• क्रूरकर्माणः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘क्रूराणि कर्माणि येषाम्’ (those whose deeds are cruel)

• चारयन्ति: they parade/lead around
• चारयन्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) (णिच् causative: चारयति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; causative ‘make (him) move about/parade’

• स्म: (indeed/used to)
• स्म: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (tense nuance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (particle indicating past/continuative nuance with present)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative adjective qualifying पुरीम्

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: कर्म (object; place traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Context

The cruel demons started blowing conches and beating drums. They paraded him in the city announcing their deeds.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rākṣasas
• Laṅkā (implied as 'that city')
• Conch (śaṅkha)
• Drum (bherī)

FAQs

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

Adharma is marked by cruelty and boastful celebration of wrongdoing; true righteousness does not require humiliating captives to inflate one’s pride.

What is the narrative situation?

The rākṣasas publicly parade Hanumān through the city with loud instruments, advertising their act as a triumph.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast, Hanumān’s implied dignity under humiliation; and the rākṣasas’ vice of arrogance and cruelty.