Shloka 8

मारीचाश्रमगमनम्

Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

स श्वेतवालव्यजनः श्वेतच्छत्रो दशाननः।स्निग्धवैदूर्यसंकाश स्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः।।।।विंशद्भुजो दशग्रीवो दर्शनीयपरिच्छदः।त्रिदशारिर्मुनीन्द्रघ्नो दशशीर्ष इवाद्रिराट्।।।।कामगं रथमास्थाय शुशुभे राक्षसेश्वरः।विद्युन्मण्डलवान्मेघस्सबलाक इवाम्बरे।।।।

Transliteration

sa śvetavālavyajanaḥ śvetacchatro daśānanaḥ |

snigdhavaidūryasaṅkāśaḥ staptakāñcanakuṇḍalaḥ ||

viṃśadbhujō daśagrīvo darśanīyaparicchadaḥ |

tridaśārir munīndraghno daśaśīrṣa ivādrirāṭ ||

kāmagaṃ ratham āsthāya śuśubhe rākṣaseśvaraḥ |

vidyunmaṇḍalavān meghaḥ sabalāka ivāmbare ||

Translation

ଶ୍ୱେତ ଚାମର-ବ୍ୟଜନ ଓ ଶ୍ୱେତ ଛତ୍ରରେ ଶୋଭିତ ଦଶାନନ ରାବଣ—ସ୍ନିଗ୍ଧ ବୈଦୂର୍ଯ୍ୟମଣି ସଦୃଶ ଦୀପ୍ତ, ତପ୍ତ କାଞ୍ଚନ କୁଣ୍ଡଳଧାରୀ—ବିଂଶତି ଭୁଜାବାନ ଦଶଗ୍ରୀବ, ଦର୍ଶନୀୟ ପରିଚ୍ଛଦରେ ଅଲଙ୍କୃତ, ଦେବଶତ୍ରୁ ଓ ମୁନୀନ୍ଦ୍ରଘ୍ନ, ଦଶଶିଖର ପର୍ବତରାଜ ପରି; କାମଗମ ରଥରେ ଆରୋହଣ କରି ରାକ୍ଷସେଶ୍ୱର ଆକାଶେ ବିଦ୍ୟୁତ୍‌ମଣ୍ଡଳବତୀ, ବକମାଳାସହିତ ମେଘ ପରି ଶୋଭିଲେ।

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• śveta-vāla-vyajanaḥ: having white yak-tail fans
• śveta-vāla-vyajanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + vāla (प्रातिपदिक) + vyajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘श्वेतवालं व्यजनं यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• śveta-chatraḥ: with a white parasol
• śveta-chatraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘श्वेतं छत्रं यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• daśa-ānanaḥ: ten-faced (Rāvaṇa)
• daśa-ānanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa (संख्या) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘दश आननानि यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• snigdha-vaidūrya-saṅkāśaḥ: shining like smooth vaidūrya (lapis/beryl)
• snigdha-vaidūrya-saṅkāśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snigdha (प्रातिपदिक) + vaidūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (upamā/determinative): ‘स्निग्ध-वैदूर्यवत् सङ्काशः’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• stapta-kāñcana-kuṇḍalaḥ: wearing earrings of refined gold
• stapta-kāñcana-kuṇḍalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stapta (प्रातिपदिक) + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘तप्तकाञ्चनस्य कुण्डले यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• viṃśat-bhujaḥ: twenty-armed
• viṃśat-bhujaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṃśat (संख्या) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘विंशतिः भुजाः यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• daśa-grīvaḥ: ten-necked
• daśa-grīvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या) + grīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘दश ग्रीवाः यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• darśanīya-paricchadaḥ: with splendid attire/equipment
• darśanīya-paricchadaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: darśanīya (प्रातिपदिक) + paricchada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘दर्शनीयः परिच्छदः यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• tridaśa-ariḥ: enemy of the gods
• tridaśa-ariḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘त्रिदशानां अरिः’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• muni-indra-ghnaḥ: slayer of chief sages
• muni-indra-ghnaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक) + han (धातु; हन्)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (agent noun -घ्न): ‘मुनीन्द्रान् हन्ति’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• daśa-śīrṣaḥ: ten-headed
• daśa-śīrṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘दश शीर्‍षाणि यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• adri-rāṭ: king of mountains
• adri-rāṭ: Upamāna (उपमान/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adri (प्रातिपदिक) + rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘अद्रेः राट् (राजा)’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• kāma-gam: going as one wishes
• kāma-gam: Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक; gam-धातोः)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘कामं गच्छति’ (goes as desired); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/Neuter; द्वितीया/Accusative (2nd), एकवचन/Singular; ‘रथम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• ratham: chariot
• ratham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; द्वितीया/Accusative (2nd), एकवचन/Singular

• āsthāya: having mounted
• āsthāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); ‘having mounted/ascended’

• śuśubhe: shone
• śuśubhe: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śubh (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/Perfect; प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person, एकवचन/Singular; आत्मनेपद

• rākṣasa-īśvaraḥ: lord of the rākṣasas
• rākṣasa-īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘राक्षसानाम् ईश्वरः’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• vidyun-maṇḍala-vān: having a circle of lightning
• vidyun-maṇḍala-vān: Upamāna-dharma (उपमानधर्म/qualifier in simile)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidyut (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘विद्युन्मण्डलं यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• meghaḥ: a cloud
• meghaḥ: Upamāna (उपमान/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: megha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular; उपमान (standard of comparison)

• sa-balākaḥ: with cranes
• sa-balākaḥ: Upamāna-dharma (उपमानधर्म/qualifier in simile)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + balāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘बलाकाभिः सह’; पुंलिङ्ग/Masculine; प्रथमा/Nominative (1st), एकवचन/Singular

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय

• ambare: in the sky
• ambare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/Neuter; सप्तमी/Locative (7th), एकवचन/Singular

Context

Maricha extended his hospitality with appropriate food and water and said with meaningful words:

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• gods (tridaśa)
• great sages (munīndra)
• vaidūrya (gemstone)
• lightning (vidyut)
• cranes (balāka)

FAQs

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

The Ramayana warns that brilliance and majesty do not equal dharma. Rāvaṇa’s dazzling appearance is juxtaposed with epithets like “slayer of sages,” implying moral decline beneath grandeur.

What is the narrative situation?

A detailed poetic description frames Rāvaṇa’s departure, heightening tension before his encounter with Mārīca and the unfolding plot against Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

No virtue is emphasized; the verse stresses overwhelming power and intimidating splendor, reinforcing the theme that unchecked power without satya and dharma becomes destructive.