Shloka 10

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

वज्रदंष्ट्रस्य च तदा पुप्लुवे स महाकपिः।शुकस्य च महातेजास्सारणस्य च धीमतः।।।।

Transliteration

vajradaṁṣṭrasya ca tadā pupluve sa mahākapiḥ | śukasya ca mahātejāḥ sāraṇasya ca dhīmataḥ || 5.54.10 ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ മഹാതേജസ്സായ മഹാകപി വജ്രദംഷ്ട്രന്റെ, ശുകന്റെ, ധീമാനായ സാരണന്റെ വാസസ്ഥലങ്ങളിലേക്കു ചാടിക്കയറി.

Word by Word

• vajradaṃṣṭrasya: of Vajradaṃṣṭra
• vajradaṃṣṭrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajradaṃṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक; वज्र + दंष्ट्रा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चय (conjunction)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• pupluve: leapt
• pupluve: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: plu (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• mahākapiḥ: the great monkey (Hanumān)
• mahākapiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahākapi (प्रातिपदिक; महा + कपि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• śukasya: of Śuka
• śukasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चय (conjunction)

• mahātejāḥ: very brilliant
• mahātejāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātejas (प्रातिपदिक; महा + तेजस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• sāraṇasya: of Sāraṇa
• sāraṇasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चय (conjunction)

• dhīmataḥ: of the wise one
• dhīmataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (adjective)

Context

The great, brilliant vanara bounded on to Vajradamstra's, of Suka's and wise Sarana's.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Vajradaṁṣṭra
• Śuka
• Sāraṇa
• Laṅkā

FAQs

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

Accountability of aggressors: those aligned with adharma become legitimate targets in a dharmic campaign aimed at ending oppression.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān moves through Laṅkā, beginning a targeted assault on rākṣasa leaders’ residences as part of his retaliatory-strategic action.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Śaurya (valor) guided by purpose—action is directed, not random.