Shloka 17

युद्धलक्षण-निमित्तदर्शनं तथा लङ्काद्वारव्यूहः

War Omens and the Encirclement of Lanka’s Gates

Devanagari script

रजन्यामप्रकाशश्चसन्तापयतिचन्द्रमाः ।कृष्णरक्तांशुपर्यन्तोयथालोकस्यसंक्ष्ये ।।6.41.17।।

Transliteration

rajanyām aprakāśaś ca santāpayati candramāḥ |

kṛṣṇa-raktāṃśu-paryanto yathā lokasya saṅkṣaye ||6.41.17||

Translation

രാത്രിയിൽ ചന്ദ്രൻ പ്രകാശം നൽകാതെ, താപംപോലെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നു; കറുപ്പും ചുവപ്പും കലർന്ന കിരണങ്ങളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ടവനായി, ലോകപ്രളയകാലംപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• rajanyām: in the night
• rajanyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• aprakāśaḥ: without radiance/dim
• aprakāśaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective of ‘candramāḥ’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• santāpayati: scorches/torments
• santāpayati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-tap (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• candramāḥ: the moon
• candramāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candramas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• kṛṣṇa-rakta-aṃśu-paryantaḥ: with black-and-red rays at the edge
• kṛṣṇa-rakta-aṃśu-paryantaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + paryanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective of ‘candramāḥ’ (having a boundary/halo of black and red rays)

• yathā: as if/like
• yathā: Upamana-dyotaka (उपमान-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; comparative particle (उपमा/यथा)

• lokasya: of the world
• lokasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• saṃkṣaye: at dissolution/end
• saṃkṣaye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

Context

"The desperate inauspicious sounds of ominous beasts crying pitifully facing the sun are causing great fear."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma is heightened accountability at moments that feel apocalyptic: when the world-order seems shaken, one must adhere more firmly to truth and righteous restraint.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma describes a final, cosmic-scale omen—an ominous moon—framing the coming battle as momentous and devastating.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Gravitas and foresight—Rāma interprets signs with a sense of moral consequence.