Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 11

विभीषणोपदेशः

Vibhīṣaṇa’s Counsel to Rāvaṇa and the Rākṣasa Court

वधस्तुरामस्यमयात्वयाचप्रहस्तसर्वैरपिराक्षसैर्वा ।कथंभवेदर्थविशारदस्यमहार्णवंतर्तुमिवाप्लवस्य ।।।।

vadhas tu rāmasya mayā tvayā ca prahasta sarvair api rākṣasair vā |

kathaṃ bhaved artha-viśāradasya mahārṇavaṃ tartum ivāplavasya ||

പ്രഹസ്താ, കാര്യവിചാരത്തിൽ പ്രാവീണ്യമുള്ള രാമനെ വധിക്കുക—എന്നാലും, നിന്നാലും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ എല്ലാ രാക്ഷസന്മാരാലും—എങ്ങനെ സാധ്യം? നീന്തൽ അറിയാത്തവൻ മഹാസമുദ്രം കടക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ അതാണ്.

vadhaḥkilling
vadhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject) (of bhavet)
TypeNoun
Rootvadha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
tuhowever / indeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormAvadhāraṇa/Viśeṣa-nipāta (particle: 'but/indeed')
rāmasyaof Rama
rāmasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive: of whom)
TypeNoun
Rootrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana
mayāby me
mayā:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument, agent-instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSarvanāma (Pronoun), Uttama-puruṣa (1st person), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Ekavacana
tvayāby you
tvayā:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSarvanāma, Madhyama-puruṣa, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormSamuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)
prahastaO Prahastha
prahasta:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
TypeNoun
Rootprahasta (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana
sarvaiḥby all
sarvaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana (Plural); agrees with rākṣasaiḥ
apieven
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormSambhāvanā/Samuccaya-nipāta (particle: 'even/also')
rākṣasaiḥby Rakshasas
rākṣasaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootrākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana
or
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormVikalpa-nipāta (disjunctive: 'or')
kathamhow
katham:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
FormPraśna-avyaya (interrogative adverb: 'how')
bhavetcould be / would be possible
bhavet:
Kriyā (क्रिया/finite verb)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
FormLiṅ-lakāra (Optative/Potential), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; Parasmaipada
arthaviśāradasyaof the one skilled in all matters
arthaviśāradasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootartha + viśārada (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
FormPuṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: 'skilled in matters' (artha-viśārada) qualifying rāmasya (genitive)
mahārṇavamthe great ocean
mahārṇavam:
Karma (कर्म/Object) (of tartum)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: 'great ocean'
tartumto cross
tartum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose infinitive)
TypeVerb
Roottṝ (धातु)
FormTumun-anta (Infinitive/तुमुन्), 'to cross'
ivalike
iva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
FormUpamā-nipāta (particle of comparison: 'like')
aplavasyaof a non-swimmer
aplavasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive in simile)
TypeAdjective
Roota-plava (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; nañ-tatpuruṣa sense: 'without ability to swim/float' (genitive in simile: 'of a non-swimmer')

"Prahastha! How can you or me or all Rakshasas kill Rama who is knowledgeable of everything, just as one who is not swimming can cross the great ocean."

V
Vibhīṣaṇa
R
Rāma
P
Prahastha
R
Rākṣasas
M
Mahārṇava (great ocean)

FAQs

Dharma is linked with clear-sighted truth: Vibhīṣaṇa urges realism grounded in moral order—opposing a righteous protector like Rāma is both ethically wrong and strategically ruinous.

Vibhīṣaṇa warns Prahastha and the court that fantasies of killing Rāma are impossible, using a vivid simile of an unskilled person attempting to cross an ocean.

Wisdom (prajñā) and integrity: Vibhīṣaṇa combines ethical judgment with practical assessment, modeling dharmic counsel.