Shloka 8

लाङ्गूलदाह-पर्यटनम्

The Burning Tail and the Parade through Laṅkā

Devanagari script

तैलेन परिषिच्याथ तेऽग्निं तत्राभ्यपातयन्।लाङ्गूलेन प्रदीप्तेन राक्षसांस्तानपातयत्।।5.53.8।।रोषामर्षपरीतात्मा बालसूर्यसमाननः।

Transliteration

tailena pariṣicyātha te 'gniṁ tatrābhyapātayan | lāṅgūlena pradīptena rākṣasāṁs tān apātayat || 5.53.8 || roṣāmarṣaparītātmā bālasūryasamānanaḥ |

Translation

പിന്നീട് അവർ എണ്ണ തളിച്ച് അവിടെ തീ കൊളുത്തി. കോപവും അപമാനബോധവും നിറഞ്ഞ, ഉദയസൂര്യനെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തമുഖനായ ഹനുമാൻ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന വാലാൽ ആ രാക്ഷസരെ വീഴ്ത്തി.

Word by Word

• तैलेन: with oil
• तैलेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• परिषिच्य: having soaked
• परिषिच्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सिच् (धातु) + परि-
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having sprinkled/soaked'

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर-निर्देशक अव्यय (then/and)

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अभ्यपातयन्: threw (upon)
• अभ्यपातयन्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + अभि- + णिच्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; causative sense 'caused to fall/throw upon'

• लाङ्गूलेन: with the tail
• लाङ्गूलेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• प्रदीप्तेन: blazing
• प्रदीप्तेन: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदीप्त (कृदन्त; √दीप् + क्त, प्र-)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; qualifies लाङ्गूलेन

• राक्षसान्: demons
• राक्षसान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तान्: those
• तान्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; pronominal adjective to राक्षसान्

• अपातयत्: struck/knocked down
• अपातयत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + अप- + णिच्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative 'struck/caused to fall'

• रोषामर्षपरीतात्मा: whose mind was filled with rage and indignation
• रोषामर्षपरीतात्मा: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोष + अमर्ष + परीत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: 'whose self is encompassed by anger and indignation'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifies (Hanuman)

• बालसूर्यसमाननः: with a face like the rising sun
• बालसूर्यसमाननः: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + सूर्य + समान + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: 'having a face like the young/rising sun'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

The demons soaked the tail and set fire to it. His face burning in anger shone like the rising Sun and his mind seized with indignation, he struck them with the burning tail.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rākṣasas
• Laṅkā

FAQs

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

Righteous force against adharma: when violence is used to uphold a just mission (protecting Sītā’s cause and resisting tyranny), it is framed as corrective rather than cruel.

What is the narrative situation?

The rākṣasas ignite Hanumān’s oil-soaked tail; Hanumān immediately turns the punishment into a weapon, attacking his captors.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Tejas (radiant power) and audārya-in-action: intense energy directed toward dismantling adharma, not toward personal vendetta.