Shloka 17

मकराक्षस्य निर्गमनम्

The Deployment of Makaraksha and Ravana’s Fury

Devanagari script

प्रभ्रष्टोऽथकरात्तस्यप्रतोदस्सारथेस्तदा ।पपातसहसादैवाद्ध्वजस्तस्यतुरक्षसः ।।।।

Transliteration

prabhraṣṭo 'tha karāt tasya pratodaḥ sārathes tadā |

papāta sahasā daivād dhvajas tasya tu rakṣasaḥ ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സാരഥിയുടെ കൈയിൽ നിന്നു പ്രതോദം വഴുതി വീണു; ദൈവവിധിയാൽ ആ രാക്ഷസന്റെ ധ്വജവും പെട്ടെന്നു നിലംപതിച്ചു—അപശകുനമായി.

Word by Word

प्रभ्रष्टःslipped/fell off

अथthen

करात्from the hand

तस्यof him

प्रतोदःwhip/goad

सारथेःof the charioteer

तदाthen

पपातfell

सहसाsuddenly

दैवात्by fate

ध्वजःbanner/standard

तस्यof that

तुindeed/but

रक्षसःof the Rakshasa

Context

Those night rangers who resembled elephants, clouds, and buffaloes in colour, who were skilled in warfare, wounded by maces and swords, moved to and from saying" I shall fight",।। ityārṣēvālmīkīyēśrīmadrāmāyaṇēādikāvyēyuddhakāṇḍēaṣṭasaptatitamassargaḥ ।।This is the end of the seventy-eighth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

Charioteer (sārathi)

Banner/standard (dhvaja)

Rakṣasa forces (context: Makarākṣa’s departure)

FAQs

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

The epic uses portents to suggest moral causality: adharma invites disorder; Dharma aligns action with a higher order (ṛta), while wrongdoing meets resistance even from fate.

What is the narrative situation?

As the Rakṣasa side advances, inauspicious signs appear—equipment fails and the banner falls.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is humility before fate and moral law—recognizing warnings and correcting course.