Shloka 25

Devanagari script

असौ हि राक्षसश्शेते शरेणाभिहतो मया।मृगरूपेण येनाहमाश्रमादपवाहितः।।।।

Transliteration

asau hi rākṣasaḥ śete śareṇābhihato mayā |

mṛga-rūpeṇa yenāham āśramād apavāhitaḥ ||

Translation

असौ हि राक्षसः शेते मया शरेणाभिहतः; मृगरूपेण येनाहमाश्रमादपवाहितः॥

Word by Word

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• rākṣasaḥ: demon
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; apposition to asau

• śete: lies
• śete: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• śareṇa: with an arrow
• śareṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• abhihataḥ: struck
• abhihataḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√han (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; with rākṣasaḥ

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• mṛga-rūpeṇa: in the form of a deer
• mṛga-rūpeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (mṛgasya rūpam), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• āśramāt: from the hermitage
• āśramāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• apavāhitaḥ: was carried away
• apavāhitaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-√vah (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; with aham

Context

Thus addressed, virtuous Lakshmana, overwhelmed with sorrow replied to the grief stricken Rama:

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• Rakshasa (Maricha implied)
• Ashrama (hermitage)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes seeing through adharma’s disguises: evil may appear attractive or harmless, yet it aims to separate protectors from those they must guard.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama reveals the truth: the ‘deer’ was a rākṣasa who diverted him from the āśrama; Rama has now slain him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s valor and protective intent are emphasized—he acts decisively against deception once identified.