Shloka 28

सीताहरणोत्तरं लङ्काप्रवेशः

Sita’s Abduction and Ravana’s Entry into Lanka

Devanagari script

युष्माकं च बलज्ञोऽहं बहुशो रणमूर्धनि।अतश्चास्मिन् जनस्थाने मया यूयं नियोजिताः।।।।

Transliteration

yuṣmākaṁ ca balajño 'haṁ bahuśo raṇamūrdhani | ataś cāsmin janasthāne mayā yūyaṁ niyojitāḥ ||

Translation

Aku mengetahui kekuatan kamu dengan baik—berkali-kali di barisan hadapan medan perang; sebab itu di Janasthāna inilah aku menugaskan kamu untuk tugas ini.

Word by Word

• yuṣmākam: of you (your)
• yuṣmākam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• balajñaḥ: knower of (your) strength
• balajñaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement of 'aham')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bala + jña (प्रातिपदिक; बल + ज्ञ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुष: बलस्य ज्ञः = knower of strength); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• bahuśaḥ: many times
• bahuśaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahuśas (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• raṇamūrdhani: on the battle-front
• raṇamūrdhani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa + mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक; रण + मूर्धन्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रणस्य मूर्धनि = on the forefront of battle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (therefore/from that reason)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• janasthāne: at Janasthāna
• janasthāne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janasthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), स्थानवाचक (place-name)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• yūyam: you (all)
• yūyam: Karma (कर्म/object in passive; logical patient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• niyojitāḥ: (have been) appointed/engaged
• niyojitāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + yuj (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त/क्तः); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense: 'have been appointed/engaged')

Context

I have seen your strength on many war fronts. That is why you have been assigned this duty at Janasthana.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Janasthāna
• Niśācaras

FAQs

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

The verse shows leadership based on proven capability; ethically, competence should serve protection and justice. In the Ramayana’s moral universe, deploying strength for wrongful ends demonstrates adharma despite effective governance.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa justifies why he has stationed and tasked these rākṣasas at Janasthāna, citing their demonstrated battlefield strength.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Recognition of merit and strategic delegation—administrative skill, though employed for an unethical objective.