Valmiki Ramayana 6.70.22 — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 70, Shloka 22

त्रिशिरा–देवान्तक–महोदर–मत्त

महापार्श्व) वधः | Slaying of Trisira, Devantaka, Mahodara, and Matta (Mahaparsva

Devanagari script

तद्बाणशतनिर्भिन्नंविदारितशिलातलम् ।सविस्फुलिंगंसज्वालंनिपपातगिरेशशिरः ।।।।

Transliteration

tad bāṇaśatanirbhinnaṃ vidāritaśilātalam |

sa visphuliṅgaṃ sa jvālaṃ nipapāta gireḥ śiraḥ ||

Translation

നൂറുകണക്കിന് അമ്പുകളാൽ തുളച്ചുപൊളിഞ്ഞും പാറത്തലം പിളർന്നും പോയ ആ പർവ്വതശിഖരം, ചിങ്ങാരങ്ങളും ജ്വാലകളും ചിതറിച്ച് താഴേക്ക് വീണു.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (पूर्वोक्तं शैलाग्रम्)

• bāṇaśatanirbhinnam: pierced by a hundred arrows
• bāṇaśatanirbhinnam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṇa-śata-nirbhinna (प्रातिपदिक; बाण + शत + निर्भिन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (निर्भिन्न = √bhid + नि + क्त); तत्पुरुष (बाणशतेन निर्भिन्नम्) विशेषण

• vidāritaśilātalam: whose rocky surface was split
• vidāritaśilātalam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidārita-śilā-tala (प्रातिपदिक; विदारित + शिला + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (vidārita = vi-√dṛ + क्त); तत्पुरुष (शिलातलं विदारितं यस्य) विशेषण

• savisphuliṅgam: with sparks
• savisphuliṅgam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-visphuliṅga (प्रातिपदिक; स + विस्फुलिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (विस्फुलिङ्गैः सह)

• sajvālam: with flames
• sajvālam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-jvāla (प्रातिपदिक; स + ज्वाला)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (ज्वालाभिः सह)

• nipapāta: fell down
• nipapāta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√pat (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• gireḥ: of the mountain
• gireḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• śiraḥ: peak / head
• śiraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

Hit by hundreds of arrows, the mountain peak broke into pieces of stones like sparks and flames fell from it.

Characters & Entities

• mountain peak (gireḥ śiraḥ)
• arrows (bāṇa)

FAQs

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

It illustrates the destructive reach of war: even nature’s steadiness (a mountain) is broken. The ethical reflection is that adharma-driven conflict consumes more than combatants—it damages the world around them.

What is the narrative situation?

Triśiras’ arrows fragment the hurled mountain-peak, which collapses in fiery, spark-like debris.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Decisive effectiveness in action—skill that achieves immediate results (here, the rākṣasa’s martial proficiency).