Shloka 57

Devanagari script

रात्रौ हि राक्षसा भूयो भवन्त्यमितविक्रमा: । बलवन्त: सुदुर्धर्षा: शूरा विक्रान्तचारिण:,रात्रिके समय राक्षसोंका अनन्त पराक्रम और भी बढ़ जाता है। वे बलवान, परम दुर्धर्ष, शूरवीर और पराक्रमपूर्वक विचरनेवाले होते हैं

Transliteration

rātrau hi rākṣasā bhūyo bhavanty amitavikramāḥ | balavantaḥ sudurdharṣāḥ śūrā vikrāntacāriṇaḥ ||

Translation

ବାୟୁଦେବ କହିଲେ—ରାତିରେ ରାକ୍ଷସମାନଙ୍କର ପରାକ୍ରମ ଆହୁରି ବଢ଼ିଯାଏ। ସେତେବେଳେ ସେମାନେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ବଳବାନ, ଅତିଦୁର୍ଧର୍ଷ, ଶୂର ଏବଂ ପରାକ୍ରମରେ ବିଚରଣକାରୀ ହୁଅନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

रात्रौat night

हिindeed/for

राक्षसाःRakshasas/demons

भूयःmore/further

भवन्तिbecome/are

अमितविक्रमाःof immeasurable prowess

बलवन्तःstrong

सुदुर्धर्षाःvery hard to assail

शूराःheroes/valiant ones

विक्रान्तचारिणःmoving about with valor

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva

rākṣasas

night (rātri)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a strategic-ethical caution: circumstances such as time (night) can amplify an opponent’s natural advantages. Wise conduct in war includes recognizing such asymmetries and avoiding reckless engagement when conditions favor adharma-aligned or supernatural forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva warns that rākṣasas become more formidable at night—stronger, harder to defeat, and more aggressively mobile—implying that nighttime confrontation with them is especially dangerous and requires heightened prudence.