Shloka 22

सीताहरणोत्तरं लङ्काप्रवेशः

Sita’s Abduction and Ravana’s Entry into Lanka

Devanagari script

बलं हि सुमहद्यन्मे जनस्थाने निवेशितम्।सदूषणखरं युद्धे हतं रामेण सायकैः।।।।

Transliteration

balaṁ hi sumahad yan me janasthāne niveśitam | sadūṣaṇakharaṁ yuddhe hataṁ rāmeṇa sāyakaiḥ ||

Translation

बलं हि सुमहद् यन्मे जनस्थाने निवेशितम्। सदूषणखरं युद्धे हतं रामेण सायकैः॥

Word by Word

• balam: the army
• balam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka (n.), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात) giving reason/emphasis

• sumahat: very great
• sumahat: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka (n.), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; qualifying balam

• yat: which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka (n.), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; relative pronoun referring to balam

• me: my
• me: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), Ekavacana; enclitic

• janasthāne: in Janasthāna
• janasthāne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janasthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka (n.), Saptamī vibhakti, Ekavacana

• niveśitam: was stationed
• niveśitam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + viś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Napuṃsaka, Prathamā Ekavacana; agreeing with balam: ‘stationed’

• sa-dūṣaṇa-kharam: together with Dūṣaṇa and Khara
• sa-dūṣaṇa-kharam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + dūṣaṇa + khara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa (saha-): ‘together with Dūṣaṇa and Khara’ qualifying balam

• yuddhe: in battle
• yuddhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka (n.), Saptamī vibhakti, Ekavacana

• hatam: was slain
• hatam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Napuṃsaka, Prathamā Ekavacana; agreeing with balam

• rāmeṇa: by Rāma
• rāmeṇa: Kartṛ (कर्ता) [in passive construction]
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/करण), Ekavacana

• sāyakaiḥ: with arrows
• sāyakaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental), Bahuvacana

Context

I had stationed a great army at Janasthana, who were all killed along with Khara and Dusana by Rama's arrows.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Janasthāna
• Rāma
• Khara
• Dūṣaṇa
• Arrows (sāyaka)

FAQs

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

A factual admission of defeat underscores satya (truth) at the level of reporting events; yet the ethical tension lies in what follows—truth can be used either for reflection or for fueling vengeance.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa recounts to his followers that Rāma destroyed his Janasthāna garrison along with Khara and Dūṣaṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Strategic clarity and acknowledgment of reality—Rāvaṇa recognizes the scale of loss and Rāma’s martial capability.