Shloka 5

रावणवधदर्शनम्

Lament of the Rākṣasa Women upon Seeing Rāvaṇa Slain

Devanagari script

ताबाष्पपरिपूर्णाक्ष्योभर्तृशोकपराजिताः ।करेण्वइवनर्द्नत्योविनेदुर्हतयूथपाः ।।।।

Transliteration

tā bāṣpaparipūrṇākṣyo bhartṛśokaparājitāḥ | kareṇva iva nardantyo vineduḥ hatayūthapāḥ ||

Translation

അവരുടെ കണ്ണുകൾ കണ്ണുനീരാൽ നിറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു; ഭർത്തൃശോകത്തിൽ കീഴടങ്ങി, കൂട്ടത്തിന്റെ നായകൻ വധിക്കപ്പെട്ട പെൺആനകളെപ്പോലെ ഗർജ്ജിച്ചു അവർ കരുണമായി നിലവിളിച്ചു.

Word by Word

ददृशुःthey saw

ताम्that

महाकायम्huge-bodied

महावीर्यम्of great valor

महाद्युतिम्of great radiance

रावणम्Ravana

निहतम्slain

भूमौon the ground

नीलाञ्जनचयोपमम्like a heap of dark collyrium (blue-black mass)

Context

Bellowing like female elephants that had lost their husbands, the women roared eyes filled with tears on account of grief for their husbands.

Characters & Entities

Rākṣasa women

Elephants (kareṇu, yūthapa)

FAQs

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

The epic underscores compassion and the moral weight of loss: even enemies’ families experience unbearable sorrow, urging restraint and righteousness.

What is the narrative situation?

The women mourn loudly on the battlefield, their lament compared to elephants crying after their leader’s death.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Karunā (compassion) as a readerly virtue: the verse trains the audience to feel the tragedy of war beyond partisan victory.