Shloka 18

प्रहस्तनिर्याणम्

Prahasta’s Departure and the Muster of the Rakshasa Host

Devanagari script

मेशीघ्रंराक्षसानांमहाद्बलम् ।।।।मद्भाणाब्दावेगेनहतानांशनिचरणाजिरे ।अद्यहृष्यन्तुमांसादाःपक्षिणःकाननौकसां ।।।।

Transliteration

me śīghraṃ rākṣasānāṃ mahad-balam |

mad-bhāṇābda-vegena hatānāṃ raṇājire |

adya hṛṣyantu māṃsādāḥ pakṣiṇaḥ kānanaukasām ||

Translation

“Segeralah himpunkan bersamaku bala Rākṣasa yang besar dan bawalah ke medan perang. Hari ini burung-burung pemakan daging di rimba akan bersukacita atas mereka yang gugur oleh badai anak panahku,” kata Prahasta.

Word by Word

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘my’

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• राक्षसानाम्: of the Rakshasas
• राक्षसानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बलम् इति विशेषण

• बलम्: army/force
• बलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनस्य समासपूर्वपद-रूप (mad- = ‘my’)

• भाण: arrows
• भाण: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member); अर्थतः ‘बाण’ (arrow) इति पाठभेद/लिप्यन्तरसम्भव

• अब्द: cloud
• अब्द: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘cloud’

• वेगेन: with the speed (like a cloud of my arrows)
• वेगेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: मद्भाणाब्दवेगेन = mad-bhāṇa-abda-vegena (तत्पुरुष-समाससमूह)

• हतानाम्: of the slain
• हतानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; राक्षसानाम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• शनि: dark/slow (as ‘Śani’)
• शनि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘slow/black (Saturn)’—अत्र ‘शनि-चरण’ इति विशेषणसमासभाग

• चरण: foot/step
• चरण: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘foot/step’

• आजिरे: in the battlefield/ground
• आजिरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; शनि-चरण-आजिरे = कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषसमाससमूह (locative: ‘in the courtyard/ground called…’)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• हृष्यन्तु: let (them) rejoice
• हृष्यन्तु: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मांसादाः: flesh-eaters
• मांसादाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa + ada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (māṃsaṃ adanti), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पक्षिणः: birds
• पक्षिणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; मांसादाः इत्यस्य विशेष्य (apposition)

• काननौकसाम्: of the forest-dwellers
• काननौकसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānana + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kānane okasām), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

Context

"Get the great Rakshasa army together with me to the battlefield speedily. By my arrows all the carnivorous birds will be killed and satisfied with the flesh (of Vanaras) today", said Prahastha.

Characters & Entities

• Prahastha
• Rākṣasas
• battlefield (raṇājira)
• arrows (bhāṇa)
• forest (kānana)

FAQs

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

By contrast, the verse illustrates adharma: delighting in slaughter and speaking with cruelty. The Ramayana repeatedly frames such relish for violence as morally corrosive and ultimately self-defeating.

What is the narrative situation?

Prahastha issues an aggressive call to mobilize the Rākṣasa army and expresses confidence that his arrows will cause massive casualties on the battlefield.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a vice: arrogance and brutality—confidence rooted in harm rather than righteousness.