Shloka 5
लाङ्गूलदाह-पर्यटनम्
The Burning Tail and the Parade through Laṅkā
ततः पश्यन्त्विमं दीनमङ्गवैरूप्यकर्शितम्।समित्रज्ञातयस्सर्वे बान्धवाः ससुहृज्जनाः।।5.53.4।।आज्ञापयद्राक्षसेन्द्रः पुरं सर्वं सचत्वरम्।लाङ्गूलेन प्रदीप्तेन रक्षोभिः परिणीयताम्।।5.53.5।।
tasya tad-vacanaṁ śrutvā rākṣasāḥ kopakarśitāḥ |
veṣṭayanti sma lāṅgūlaṁ jīrṇaiḥ kārpāsakaiḥ paṭaiḥ || 5.53.6 ||
അവന്റെ വാക്ക് കേട്ട ഉടൻ ക്രോധത്തിൽ കത്തിയ രാക്ഷസർ ഹനുമാന്റെ വാൽ പഴകിയ പഞ്ഞിത്തുണി ചീന്തുകളാൽ ചുറ്റിപ്പൊതിഞ്ഞു.
"Then all his friends, relatives and his kinsmen will see his disfigured and handicapped form. The demon king having ordered thus, the monkey was taken by the ogres round the junctions of the roads all over the city with his tail on fire.
FAQs
Anger (krodha) is shown as a driver of adharma: it pushes beings toward cruelty and shortsighted actions that ultimately backfire—here, the very act of preparing the fire becomes the cause of Laṅkā’s terror.
Following Rāvaṇa’s order, the rākṣasas prepare Hanumān’s tail for burning by wrapping it with cotton rags to feed the flames.
By contrast through negation: the rākṣasas’ lack of restraint is highlighted, setting up Hanumān’s composure and resilience under unjust treatment.