Shloka 43

इन्द्रजितो यज्ञानुष्ठानं अन्तर्धानं च

Indrajit’s Rite and the Invisible Assault

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्त्वावचनंमहात्मारघुप्रवीरःप्लवगर्षभैर्वृतः ।वधायरौद्रस्यनृशंसकर्मणस्तदामहात्मात्वरितंनिरीक्षते ।।।।

Transliteration

ity evam uktvā vacanaṁ mahātmā raghupravīraḥ plavagarṣabhair vṛtaḥ | vadhāya raudrasya nṛśaṁsakarmaṇas tadā mahātmā tvaritaṁ nirīkṣate || 6.80.43 ||

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ വചനം ഉച്ചരിച്ച മഹാത്മാവായ രഘുവംശവീരൻ—ശ്രേഷ്ഠ വാനരന്മാർ ചുറ്റിനിന്നിരിക്കെ—ക്രൂരകർമ്മിയായ ആ ഭീകരന്റെ വധത്തിനുള്ള ഉപായം അപ്പോൾ തന്നെ വേഗത്തിൽ ആലോചിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyopasaṃhāra (वाक्योपसंहार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, Quotative particle (इति-वाचक)

• evam: in this way
• evam: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, Manner adverb

• uktvā: having spoken
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा) from √vac (irregular past stem ukta); 'having spoken'

• vacanam: words/speech
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• mahātmā: the great-souled one
• mahātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya-samāsa; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• raghupravīraḥ: the foremost hero of the Raghus (Rama)
• raghupravīraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + pravīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa-samāsa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) 'raghoḥ pravīraḥ'; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; apposition to 'mahātmā'

• plavagarṣabhaiḥ: by/with the bull-like leaders of monkeys
• plavagarṣabhaiḥ: Sahakāraka/Karaṇa (सहकारक/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plavaga (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa-samāsa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) 'plavagānāṃ ṛṣabhāḥ'; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• vṛtaḥ: surrounded
• vṛtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; agreeing with 'mahātmā/raghupravīraḥ'

• vadhāya: for killing
• vadhāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; purpose dative

• raudrasya: of the fierce one
• raudrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular; qualifying 'nṛśaṃsakarmaṇaḥ'

• nṛśaṃsakarmaṇaḥ: of the one whose deeds are cruel
• nṛśaṃsakarmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛśaṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi-samāsa (बहुव्रीहि) 'nṛśaṃsaṃ karma yasya'; Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular; dependent on 'vadhāya' (for the killing of ...)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, Adverb of time

• mahātmā: the great-souled one
• mahātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya-samāsa; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular (repeated for emphasis)

• tvaritam: swiftly
• tvaritam: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tvarita (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative), Manner adverb (शीघ्रतया)

• nirīkṣate: looks around/observes
• nirīkṣate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: Ātmanepada, Laṭ (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular

Context

Weapons were spread on all sides of the fire sacrifice like grass. A dark-coloured live goat's neck was consigned for offering into fire.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma (Raghupravīra)
• Vanara leaders (plavagarṣabha)
• Indrajit (implied as raudra/nṛśaṁsakarman)

FAQs

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

Leadership guided by dharma: even when confronting cruelty, the righteous leader deliberates on proper means rather than acting from mere rage—aligning action with ethical purpose.

What is the narrative situation?

The sarga closes with Rāma, surrounded by Vanara chiefs, turning quickly to practical deliberation on how to kill Indrajit.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prudence and strategic discernment (viveka) joined to moral seriousness.