Shloka 37

कुम्भकर्णोपदेशः

Kumbhakarna’s Counsel and War-Boast to Ravana

Devanagari script

अद्यरामस्यपश्यन्तुनिधनंसुमहत्प्रियम् ।लङ्कायांराक्षसाःसर्वेयेतेनिहतबान्धवाः ।।6.63.37।।

Transliteration

adya rāmasya paśyantu nidhanaṃ sumahat priyam | laṅkāyāṃ rākṣasāḥ sarve ye te nihatabāndhavāḥ ||6.63.37||

Translation

ഇന്ന് ലങ്കയിലെ എല്ലാ രാക്ഷസരും—ബന്ധുക്കൾ വധിക്കപ്പെട്ടവർ—രാമന്റെ മരണം കാണട്ടെ; ആ ദൃശ്യം അവർക്കു അത്യന്തം പ്രിയമാകും.

Word by Word

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• rāmasya: of Rama
• rāmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• paśyantu: let (them) see
• paśyantu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• nidhanam: death
• nidhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• su-mahat: very great
• su-mahat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); अव्ययीभाव: su + mahat = 'very great' qualifying priyam/nidhanam

• priyam: dear/pleasing
• priyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying nidhanam (ironical: 'dear')

• laṅkāyām: in Lanka
• laṅkāyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṅkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• rākṣasāḥ: Rakshasas
• rākṣasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying rākṣasāḥ

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun referring to rākṣasāḥ

• te: those
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); correlative pronoun

• nihata-bāndhavāḥ: having slain kinsmen / whose kinsmen are slain
• nihata-bāndhavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nihata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √han) + bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); बहुव्रीहि: 'those whose kinsmen are slain' qualifying te/rākṣasāḥ

Context

" All the Rakshasas in Lanka whose relations have been killed will witness Rama's death which will be very welcome."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Laṅkā
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

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

The verse illustrates how grief can be weaponized into vengeance. Dharma in the Ramayana warns against letting sorrow become hatred; righteous action must remain bound to truth and moral limits.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker claims that Rāma’s death will be publicly witnessed in Laṅkā and will console those Rākṣasas who have suffered losses in the war.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

A distorted form of loyalty is emphasized—loyalty to one’s side expressed as vengeance—contrasted elsewhere in the epic with loyalty governed by dharma.