Shloka 21

कुम्भकर्णोपदेशः

Kumbhakarna’s Counsel and War-Boast to Ravana

Devanagari script

यदुक्तमिहतेपूर्वंक्रियतामनुजेन च ।तदेवनोहितंवाक्यंयदिच्छसि च तत्कुरु ।।6.63.21।।

Transliteration

yad uktam iha te pūrvaṃ kriyatām anujena ca | tad eva no hitaṃ vākyaṃ yadi cchasi ca tat kuru ||6.63.21||

Translation

ഇവിടെ നിനക്കു മുമ്പേ നിന്റെ അനുജൻ പറഞ്ഞതു നടപ്പാക്കുക; ആ വാക്കുതന്നെ നമ്മുടെ ഹിതമാണ്. എങ്കിലും നീ ഇച്ഛിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ ചെയ്യുക.

Word by Word

• yat: what/that which
• yat: Karma/Viṣaya (विषय/That which is referred to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (relative pronoun)

• uktam: said
• uktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of yat)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular; 'said'

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (pronoun)

• pūrvam: earlier
• pūrvam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक): 'formerly/earlier'

• kriyatām: let it be done
• kriyatām: Vidhi (विधि/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular; passive/impersonal: 'let it be done'

• anujena: by the younger brother
• anujena: Karaṇa (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta/Viṣaya (विषय/Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (correlative)

• eva: indeed/alone
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• naḥ: for us/our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; enclitic

• hitam: beneficial
• hitam: Pradhāna-vidheya (विधेय/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective

• vākyam: statement/advice
• vākyam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of 'is beneficial')
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• yat: what
• yat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of icchasi

• icchasi: you wish
• icchasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of kuru

• kuru: do
• kuru: Kriyā (क्रिया/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada, 2nd person, Singular

Context

"The advice given to you in the past by your brother alone is good. That is good for you. Or you may do what you wish."

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhakarṇa
• Rāvaṇa
• Vibhīṣaṇa (implied as the younger brother)

FAQs

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

Dharma favors heeding truthful counsel even when it comes from within the family; rejecting it invites collective harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Kumbhakarṇa urges Rāvaṇa to act on the earlier advice given by his younger brother (Vibhīṣaṇa), while acknowledging Rāvaṇa’s final choice.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Openness to satya (truth) and prioritizing the common good over ego.