Shloka 13

शरबन्धनम् (The Binding by Arrows) / Indrajit’s Illusory Assault and the Vanaras’ Consolation

Devanagari script

नेमौमोक्षयितुंशक्यावेतस्मादिषुबन्धनात् ।।6.46.13।।सर्वैरपिसमागम्यसर्षिसङ्घैस्सुरासुरैः ।

Transliteration

na imau mokṣayituṃ śakyau etasmād iṣu-bandhanāt | sarvair api samāgamya saṛṣi-saṅghaiḥ surāsuraiḥ || 6.46.13 ||

Translation

Ainda que todos os seres se reunissem—companhias de rishis, deuses e até asuras—estes dois não poderiam ser libertos deste cativeiro de flechas.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• इमौ: these two
• इमौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘these two’

• मोक्षयितुम्: to free
• मोक्षयितुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/Infinitive complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); ‘to release/free’

• शक्यौ: possible (to be freed)
• शक्यौ: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘possible/able’ (predicate adjective)

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘from this’

• इषुबन्धनात्: from the bondage of arrows
• इषुबन्धनात्: अपादान (Apādāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इषूणां बन्धनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: करण/सहकारि (Instrument/Agentive collective)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘by all’

• अपि: even
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘even/also’

• समागम्य: having assembled
• समागम्य: पूर्वकाल (Gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having assembled/come together’

• सर्षिसङ्घैः: with groups of sages
• सर्षिसङ्घैः: सहकारि (Accompaniment/Instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सह-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास: ‘ऋषिसङ्घैः सह’; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सुरासुरैः: with devas and asuras
• सुरासुरैः: सहकारि (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Context

"Even if all the sages, Devatas and Rakshasas collected together come, they cannot get liberated from this bondage of arrows."

Characters & Entities

• Indrajit (Meghanāda)
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Suras (gods)
• Asuras

FAQs

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

A dharmic lens reads this as a caution against overclaiming invincibility: pride that denies the possibility of release or grace is spiritually dangerous and narratively foreshadows reversal.

What is the narrative situation?

Indrajit asserts that his arrow-bond has rendered Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa impossible to free, even with cosmic assistance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse primarily displays Indrajit’s overconfidence; in contrast, dharmic virtue would be humility before the larger moral order.