Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 40, Shloka 14
सुवेलारोहणं रावण-सुग्रीव-नियुद्धम्
Ascent of Suvela and the Ravana–Sugriva Duel
परस्परंस्वेदविदग्धगात्रौपरस्परंशोणितदिग्धदेहौ ।परस्परंलशिष्टनिरुद्धचेष्टौपरस्परंशाल्मलिकिंशुकौयधा ।।।।मुष्टिप्रहारैश्चतलप्रहारैररत्निघातैश्चकराग्रघातैः ।तौचक्रतुर्युद्धमसह्यरूपंमहाबलौराक्षसवानरेन्द्रौ ।।।।
parasparaṃ svedavidagdhagātrau parasparaṃ śoṇitadigdhadehau |
parasparaṃ laśiṣṭaniruddhaceṣṭau parasparaṃ śālmalikiṃśukau yathā ||
muṣṭiprahāraiś ca talaprahārair aratnighātaiś ca karāgraghātaiḥ |
tau cakratur yuddham asahyarūpaṃ mahābalau rākṣasavānareन्द्रौ ||
Сцепившись друг с другом — тела их жгло пото́м, а кровь покрывала кожу, — два могучих царя, ракшаса и владыка ванар, переплелись и на миг сдержали движения, словно красные деревья шальмали и кимшука. Затем они повели нестерпимо грозную схватку: кулаками, ударами ладоней, предплечьями и рубящими ударами кончиков пальцев.
Sugriva and Ravana, their bodies sweating all over, bodies coloured red with blood looking like red silk cotton trees, their bodies clinging together interlocked with each other stood motionless. They were fighting with their fists, palms and blows of forearms, hurting each other with nails and carrying out unbearable forms of war.
FAQs
The verse frames conflict within the epic’s moral battlefield: strength and endurance are displayed, but the larger dharmic point is that such power is meaningful only when aligned with a righteous cause (Sugrīva fights as Rāma’s ally).
Sugrīva and the rākṣasa king grapple at close quarters, exchanging brutal hand-to-hand strikes while locked together.
Martial stamina and fearlessness—especially Sugrīva’s capacity to endure pain and continue for the sake of duty to his ally.
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