Shloka 30

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

हनूमता वेगवता वानरेण महात्मना।लङ्कापुरं प्रदग्धं तद्रुद्रेण त्रिपुरं यथा।।।।

Transliteration

hanūmatā vegavatā vānarēṇa mahātmanā | laṅkāpuraṃ pradagdhaṃ tad rudrēṇa tripuraṃ yathā ||

Translation

വേഗശാലിയായ മഹാത്മാവായ വാനരൻ ഹനുമാനാൽ ലങ്കാപുരം ദഹിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; രുദ്രൻ ത്രിപുരം ഭസ്മമാക്കിയതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• हनूमता: by Hanumān
• हनूमता: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हनूमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वेगवता: swift
• वेगवता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (वानरेण इति)

• वानरेण: by the monkey (hero)
• वानरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महात्मना: great-souled
• महात्मना: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (वानरेण/हनूमता इति)

• लङ्कापुरम्: the city of Laṅkā
• लङ्कापुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रदग्धम्: burnt
• प्रदग्धम्: Kriya (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

• तत्: that (city)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रुद्रेण: by Rudra
• रुद्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• त्रिपुरम्: Tripura
• त्रिपुरम्: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यथा: as / like
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपमानसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानवाचक (comparative particle)

Context

'All the trees of the garden are broken, powerful demons have been killed, and a contingent of the army is destroyed. Only the destruction of the citadel is left.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Laṅkā
• Rudra (Śiva)

FAQs

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

It frames Hanumān’s act as punitive consequence aligned with cosmic justice: when adharma hardens into oppression, corrective force arises to restore moral order.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration summarizes the scale of the conflagration: Hanumān’s fire consumes Laṅkā, and the poet invokes the mythic burning of Tripura by Rudra as a parallel.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Mahātmatva and śaurya (greatness of spirit and heroism): Hanumān acts with extraordinary power in loyal service, becoming an instrument of righteous retribution.