Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ततस्तौ रावणामात्यौ मन्त्रिणौ शुकसारणौ । चरौ वानररूपेण तौ जग्राह विभीषण:,उस सेनामें वानरोंका रूप घारण करके रावणके दो मन्त्री शुक और सारण गुप्तचरका काम करनेके लिये घुस आये थे। विभीषणने उन दोनोंको पहचानकर कैद कर लिया

Transliteration

tatastau rāvaṇāmātyau mantriṇau śukasāraṇau | carau vānararūpeṇa tau jagrāha vibhīṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Kemudian dua menteri Rāvaṇa—Śuka dan Sāraṇa—menyusup sebagai pengintip dengan menyamar dalam rupa vānara. Vibhīṣaṇa mengenali mereka lalu menangkap kedua-duanya.

Word by Word

ततःthen/from there

तौthose two (them)

रावण-अमात्यौRāvaṇa's two ministers

मन्त्रिणौthe two counsellors

शुक-सारणौŚuka and Sāraṇa

चरौthe two spies

वानर-रूपेणin/with the form of a monkey

तौthose two (them)

जग्राहseized/captured

विभीषणःVibhīṣaṇa

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Rāvaṇa

Śuka

Sāraṇa

Vibhīṣaṇa

Vānara (monkey-form/disguise)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, where deception and espionage may be employed as strategy, responsibility to protect one’s side remains paramount; identifying and restraining infiltrators is presented as a legitimate act of safeguarding dharma and preventing harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāvaṇa’s two ministers, Śuka and Sāraṇa, enter the opposing camp disguised as monkeys to spy. Vibhīṣaṇa recognizes them despite the disguise and captures them.