Shloka 5

रावण-प्रहस्त-हनूमद्वार्ता

Ravana and Prahasta Question Hanuman

Devanagari script

दुरात्मा पृच्छ्यतामेष कुतः किं वात्र कारणम्।वनभङ्गे च कोऽस्यार्थो राक्षसीनां च तर्जने।।।।

Transliteration

durātmā pṛcchyatām eṣa kutaḥ kiṃ vātra kāraṇam |

vanabhaṅge ca ko ’syārtho rākṣasīnāṃ ca tarjane ||

Translation

“Siasatlah si berhati jahat ini: dari mana dia datang, dan apakah sebab dia berada di sini? Apa maksudnya merosakkan taman rimba itu dan mengugut para raksasi betina?”

Word by Word

• durātmā: wicked person
• durātmā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (दुरः + आत्मा)

• pṛcchyatām: let (him) be questioned
• pṛcchyatām: Vidhi (विधि/Imperative injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘let (him) be asked’

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kutaḥ: from where
• kutaḥ: Hetu/Source (अपादान-भाव/Source sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• kim: what
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• kāraṇam: reason
• kāraṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• vanabhaṅge: in the destruction of the grove
• vanabhaṅge: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vanabhaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वनस्य भङ्गः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction ‘and’)

• kaḥ: what (who)
• kaḥ: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• arthaḥ: purpose
• arthaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• rākṣasīnām: of the demonesses
• rākṣasīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• tarjane: in the threatening
• tarjane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Context

"Enquire from this wicked one, why he has come and from where, Why he destroyed the garden and for what purpose he threatened the demonesses?

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Prahasta
• Hanumān
• Laṅkā (implicitly)
• Rākṣasīs

FAQs

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

Before judging or punishing, authority should investigate motives and causes. Dharma in governance begins with inquiry aimed at truth (satya).

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa orders that the captured intruder be interrogated about his origin, intent, and actions in the grove and against the guards.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Administrative discernment: seeking facts and intent rather than acting only from anger.