Shloka 16

युद्धाय रावणस्य निर्याणं तथा उत्पातदर्शनम्

Ravana’s Mobilization for War and the ظهور of Fatal Portents

Devanagari script

सशरैरद्यवदनैस्सङ्ख्येवानरयूथपाः ।मण्डयिष्यन्तिवसुधांसनालैरिवपङ्कजैः ।।6.96.16।।

Transliteration

saśarair adya vadanair saṅkhye vānarayūthapāḥ | maṇḍayiṣyanti vasudhāṃ sanālair iva paṅkajaiḥ ||6.96.16||

Translation

ഇന്ന് യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ബാണങ്ങൾ കുത്തിപ്പറ്റിയ മുഖങ്ങളോടെ വാനരയൂഥപതികൾ, തണ്ടോടുകൂടിയ താമരകളെപ്പോലെ ഭൂമിയെ അലങ്കരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• सशरैः: with arrows
• सशरैः: करण-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शरैः सह = with arrows); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of वदनैः)

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: कालाधिकरण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• वदनैः: with faces/mouths
• वदनैः: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सङ्ख्ये: in battle
• सङ्ख्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikarana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; युद्ध-स्थल (battle context)

• वानरयूथपाः: vanara troop-leaders
• वानरयूथपाः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक) + यूथप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वानराणां यूथपाः = leaders of monkey-bands); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मण्डयिष्यन्ति: will adorn
• मण्डयिष्यन्ति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: मण्ड् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वसुधाम्: the earth
• वसुधाम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सनालैः: with stalks
• सनालैः: उपमान-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नालैः सह = with stalks); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of पङ्कजैः)

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा (simile particle)

• पङ्कजैः: lotuses
• पङ्कजैः: उपमान (standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

Context

"Now with the arrows fixed on their faces the Vanara battalions spread on the earth will adorn the earth like lotuses spread on earth."

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Vānara troop-leaders
• vasudhā (earth)
• śara (arrow)

FAQs

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

It cautions against aestheticizing violence—turning suffering into “ornament.” Dharma requires compassion and truthfulness about harm, not poetic glorification of cruelty.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa describes the aftermath he expects to create on the battlefield, imagining fallen vānara leaders as a grim decoration of the earth.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is moral sensitivity (dayā). The verse shows its opposite in Rāvaṇa’s rhetoric, thereby reinforcing the Ramayana’s ethical stance.