Shloka 12

लङ्काप्रवेशः

Hanuman’s Stealth Entry and Survey of Lanka

Devanagari script

शुश्राव जपतां तत्र मन्त्रान् रक्षोगृहेषु वै।।।।स्वाध्यायनिरतांश्चैव यातुधानान् ददर्श सः।रावणस्तवसंयुक्तान् गर्जतो राक्षसानपि।।।।

Transliteration

śuśrāva japatāṃ tatra mantrān rakṣogṛheṣu vai ||5.4.12||

svādhyāyaniratāṃś caiva yātudhānān dadarśa saḥ |

rāvaṇastavasaṃyuktān garjato rākṣasān api ||5.4.13||

Translation

Ali ele ouviu a recitação de mantras nas moradas dos Rākṣasas. Viu também os Yātudhānas dedicados à recitação védica, e até Rākṣasas rugindo enquanto cantavam hinos de louvor a Rāvaṇa.

Word by Word

• śuśrāva: heard
• śuśrāva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• japatām: of (those) chanting
• japatām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (plural); masculine/neuter gen.pl. agreeing with implied persons

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• mantrān: mantras
• mantrān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• rakṣaḥ-gṛheṣu: in the houses of the demons
• rakṣaḥ-gṛheṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'rakṣasām gṛheṣu'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) gṛha, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (plural)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) emphasizing assertion

• svādhyāya-niratān: (those) engaged in Vedic recitation/study
• svādhyāya-niratān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक) + nirata (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (locative/semantic dependence): 'svādhyāye niratān' = engaged in Vedic study; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• eva: also/indeed
• eva: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• yātudhānān: yātudhānas (demons)
• yātudhānān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātudhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• rāvaṇa-stava-saṃyuktān: engaged in praising Ravana
• rāvaṇa-stava-saṃyuktān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + stava (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (determinative): 'rāvaṇasya stavaḥ' + 'tena saṃyuktān' = connected with Ravana-praise; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• garjataḥ: of (those) roaring
• garjataḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garj (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (plural); masculine/neuter gen.pl. 'of those roaring'

• rākṣasān: demons
• rākṣasān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• api: even/also
• api: Emphasis/Inclusion (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (inclusion particle)

Context

He heard chantings of sacred verses in the houses of demons engaged in the study of the vedas. And heard demons singing loudly the eulogy of Ravana.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rākṣasas
• Yātudhānas
• Rāvaṇa
• mantras

FAQs

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

Sacred learning without righteousness can be inverted: mantra and svādhyāya are not automatically dharmic if directed to glorify adharma (here, Rāvaṇa’s regime).

What is the narrative situation?

During nocturnal reconnaissance, Hanumān notices that even in Laṅkā there are ritual sounds—chanting and recitation—alongside aggressive praise of Rāvaṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment (viveka): Hanumān observes that external religiosity can coexist with moral corruption, strengthening his clarity about the mission’s righteousness.