Shloka 2

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

किन्नु खल्ववशिष्टं मे कर्तव्यमिह साम्प्रतम्।।।।यदेषां रक्षसां भूयः सन्तापजननं भवेत्।

Transliteration

kinnu khalv avaśiṣṭaṃ me kartavyam iha sāmpratam ||

yad eṣāṃ rakṣasāṃ bhūyaḥ santāpajananaṃ bhavet |

Translation

“ഇപ്പോൾ ഇവിടെ എനിക്ക് ചെയ്യാൻ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ എന്താണ് ശേഷിക്കുന്നത്? ഈ രാക്ഷസന്മാർക്ക് വീണ്ടും കൂടുതൽ ദുഃഖം ജനിപ്പിക്കാൻ എന്ത് ചെയ്യാം?”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: कर्म/प्रश्न (Interrogative; complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• नु: indeed/then (question particle)
• नु: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न-निपात (interrogative particle)

• खलु: surely/indeed
• खलु: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/सम्भावना-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अवशिष्टम्: remaining
• अवशिष्टम्: विशेष्यपूरक (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव+शिष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘left/remaining’

• मे: for me / my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done (duty)
• कर्तव्यम्: विधेय (Predicate; obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be done’

• इह: here
• इह: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa; locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• साम्प्रतम्: now/presently
• साम्प्रतम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: at present)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Relative; links to ‘किम्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• रक्षसाम्: of the demons
• रक्षसाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक (again/further)

• सन्तापजननम्: torment-causing
• सन्तापजननम्: विधेय (Predicate complement of ‘भवेत्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ताप+जनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: सन्तापस्य जननम् (producing torment)

• भवेत्: might be/would be
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

Unable to protect their rich houses, and thoroughly disappointed the demons said, 'Alas, the Fire-god came in the form of a vanara'! A tumultuous sound arose.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• rākṣasas
• Laṅkā

FAQs

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

Responsible agency: before acting, one should reflect on what is truly necessary and purposeful—dharma includes deliberation, not impulsive harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Amid the destruction in Laṅkā, Hanumān pauses to consider what further action remains that would most effectively pressure the rākṣasas.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Buddhi (discernment) and kartavya-bodha (sense of duty): Hanumān evaluates the next step in service of Rāma’s mission.