Shloka 36

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

किं ब्रह्मणस्सर्वपितामहस्य सर्वस्य धातुश्चतुराननस्य।इहाऽऽगतो वानररूपधारी रक्षोपसंहारकरः प्रकोपः।।।।

Transliteration

kiṁ brahmaṇaḥ sarva-pitāmahasya sarvasya dhātuś catur-ānanasya |

ihāgato vānararūpa-dhārī rakṣopasaṁhārakaraḥ prakopaḥ ||

Translation

“ਕੀ ਇਹ ਸਰਵ-ਪਿਤਾਮਹ, ਸਭ ਦਾ ਧਾਤਾ ਚਤੁਰਾਨਨ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦਾ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਵਾਨਰ-ਰੂਪ ਧਾਰ ਕੇ ਇੱਥੇ ਆਇਆ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਖਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੇ ਸੰਹਾਰ ਲਈ ਉਤਾਵਲਾ ਹੈ?”

Word by Word

• किम्: what? / is it that...?
• किम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सर्व-पितामहस्य: of the grandsire of all
• सर्व-पितामहस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः इति विशेषण/अपपद-सम्बन्ध

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'of all'

• धातुः: of the creator (Dhātṛ)
• धातुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (धातुः = धातॄ-षष्ठी एकवचन)

• चतुराननस्य: of the four-faced one
• चतुराननस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'four-faced' (Brahmā)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक (here)

• आगतः: has come
• आगतः: Kriya (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• वानर-रूप-धारी: wearing a monkey-form
• वानर-रूप-धारी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रकोपः)

• रक्षः-उपसंहार-करः: causing the destruction of demons
• रक्षः-उपसंहार-करः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) + उपसंहार (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रकोपः)

• प्रकोपः: wrath / fury
• प्रकोपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय/कर्ता-रूपेण

Context

'Or is it Grandfather Brahma, the supreme four-faced god enraged and arrived in the form of vanara to kill the clan of demons?

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturānana, Svayambhū implied)
• rākṣasas

FAQs

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

Dharma is portrayed as protected by cosmic governance: when adharma reaches excess, even the highest powers are imagined as intervening to restore balance.

What is the narrative situation?

The rākṣasas, unable to accept that a single vanara could do this, hypothesize a divine agency—Brahmā’s wrath—behind the destruction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hanumān’s role as dharma-sādhaka (agent of righteous purpose) is indirectly affirmed: his actions appear superhuman and aligned with restoration of order.