Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 53, Shloka 4
लाङ्गूलदाह-पर्यटनम्
The Burning Tail and the Parade through Laṅkā
ततः पश्यन्त्विमं दीनमङ्गवैरूप्यकर्शितम्।समित्रज्ञातयस्सर्वे बान्धवाः ससुहृज्जनाः।।5.53.4।।आज्ञापयद्राक्षसेन्द्रः पुरं सर्वं सचत्वरम्।लाङ्गूलेन प्रदीप्तेन रक्षोभिः परिणीयताम्।।5.53.5।।
tataḥ paśyantv imaṁ dīnam aṅgavairūpyakarśitam |
samitrajñātayaḥ sarve bāndhavāḥ sasuhṛjjanāḥ || 5.53.4 ||
ājñāpayad rākṣasendraḥ puraṁ sarvaṁ sacatvaram |
lāṅgūlena pradīptena rakṣobhiḥ pariṇīyatām || 5.53.5 ||
“Kemudian biarlah semua—sahabat, kaum kerabat, sanak saudara dan para handai—menyaksikan si malang ini, tubuhnya dicacatkan dan rupanya dihinakan.” Demikian titah raja rākṣasa: “Bawalah dia mengelilingi seluruh kota, melalui setiap simpang, dengan ekornya dinyalakan api, diiringi para rākṣasa.”
"Then all his friends, relatives and his kinsmen will see his disfigured and handicapped form. The demon king having ordered thus, the monkey was taken by the ogres round the junctions of the roads all over the city with his tail on fire.
FAQs
The verse highlights adharma: cruelty and public humiliation as an exercise of tyranny. By contrast, the Ramayana’s dharmic lens condemns punishment driven by pride and malice rather than justice.
After capturing Hanumān, Rāvaṇa orders a public spectacle: he is to be paraded through Laṅkā with his tail burning, to shame him before the city.
Negatively, Rāvaṇa’s arrogance and cruelty are emphasized; implicitly, Hanumān’s steadfastness under dishonor is set up as the contrasting virtue.