Shloka 4

सुवेलारोहणम्

The Ascent of Suvela and the First Full View of Laṅkā

Devanagari script

लङ्कांचालोकयिष्यामोनिलयंतस्यरक्षसः ।येनमेमरणान्तायहृताभार्यादुरात्मना ।।।।येनधर्मोनविज्ञातोनतद्वृत्तंनकुलंतथा ।राक्षस्यानीचयाबुद् ध्यायेनतद्गर्हितंकृतम् ।।।।

Transliteration

laṅkāṃ ca ālokayiṣyāmo nilayaṃ tasya rakṣasaḥ | yena me maraṇāntāya hṛtā bhāryā durātmanā || yena dharmo na vijñāto na tad-vṛttaṃ na kulaṃ tathā | rākṣasyā nīcayā buddhyā yena tad garhitaṃ kṛtam ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം നാം ലങ്കയെയും ദർശിക്കും—ആ രാക്ഷസന്റെ വാസസ്ഥലം; ആ ദുരാത്മാവ് എന്നെ മരണാന്തത്തിലേക്കു നയിക്കുമെന്നപോലെ എന്റെ ഭാര്യയെ അപഹരിച്ചു. അവന് ധർമ്മബോധമില്ല, യഥോചിതാചാരമില്ല, കുലമര്യാദയും ഇല്ല; നീചമായ രാക്ഷസബുദ്ധിയാൽ അവൻ ആ നിന്ദ്യകർമ്മം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (indeed/for)

• कुरुते: does/commits
• कुरुते: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पापम्: sin/evil
• पापम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• काल-पाश-वशम्: under the control of death’s noose
• काल-पाश-वशम्: कर्म-प्रकार (State/condition as object-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: कालस्य पाशः, तस्य वशः = कालपाशवशः; द्वितीया: कालपाशवशम् (under the sway of death’s noose)

• गतः: having fallen/gone
• गतः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of एकः

• नीचेन: base/low
• नीचेन: करण-विशेषण (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of आत्मापचारेण

• आत्म-अपचारेण: by (his) own misconduct
• आत्म-अपचारेण: करण/हेतु (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: आत्मनः अपचारः = आत्मापचारः; तृतीया: आत्मापचारेण (by one’s own misconduct)

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विनश्यति: perishes
• विनश्यति: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Context

"We shall see Lanka the abode of Rakshasa by whom, who is evil minded as he is to face death, has stolen my consort not knowing, who turned away from righteous duty not knowing the race with lowly Rakshasa mentality, who is immoral."

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā
• Rākṣasa (race)

FAQs

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

Adharma is defined through violation of another’s marriage and disregard for righteous conduct and lineage-honor; the verse frames abducting Sītā as a paradigmatic shameful act.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma, nearing Laṅkā, speaks of seeing the city and recalls the wrong that brought the war—Sītā’s abduction by Rāvaṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral clarity and commitment to maryādā (ethical boundaries): Rāma names the act as garhita (reprehensible) and grounds the conflict in dharma.