Shloka 24
शरबन्धनम् (The Binding by Arrows) / Indrajit’s Illusory Assault and the Vanaras’ Consolation
शरशब्देनघोरेणमयाबद्धौचमूमुखे ।।6.46.24।।सहितौभ्रातरवेतौनिशामयतराक्षसाः ।
śaraśabdena ghoreṇa mayā baddhau ca mūmukhe | sahitau bhrātarau etau niśāmayata rākṣasāḥ || 6.46.24 ||
“Wahai para rākṣasa, lihatlah kedua saudara itu bersama-sama—di barisan hadapan bala tentera—telah kuikat dengan daya anak panah yang menggerunkan.”
"O Rakshasas! Look at these two brothers together bound by my fierce arrows in front of you."
FAQs
The verse highlights the ethical danger of false certainty and boastful speech: claiming triumph over the righteous can become a form of untruth (asatya) when driven by pride rather than reality.
Indrajit proclaims to the rākṣasa troops that Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa are bound/neutralized at the army’s front, aiming to raise morale and crush the enemy’s spirit.
The inverse virtue—truthfulness (satya) and restraint—is emphasized by contrast, as Indrajit’s speech is framed as triumphal and potentially misleading.