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Shloka 45

दुन्दुभिवधप्रसङ्गः

The Dundubhi Episode and the Proof of Rama’s Prowess

व्यापारवीर्यधैर्यैश्च परिक्षीणं पराक्रमैः।तं तु दुन्दुभिमुद्यम्य धरण्यामभ्यपातयत्।।4.11.45।।युद्धे प्राणहरे तस्मिन्निष्पिष्टो दुन्दुभिस्तदा।पपात च महाकायः क्षितौ पञ्चत्वमागतः4.11.46।।

vyāpāravīryadhairyaiś ca parikṣīṇaṃ parākramaiḥ |

taṃ tu dundubhim udyamya dharaṇyām abhyapātayat || 4.11.45 ||

yuddhe prāṇahare tasmin niṣpiṣṭo dundubhis tadā |

papāta ca mahākāyaḥ kṣitau pañcatvam āgataḥ || 4.11.46 ||

దుందుభి యొక్క శ్రమ, బలం, ధైర్యం, పరాక్రమం క్షీణించినప్పుడు, వాలి అతనిని ఎత్తి భూమిపై బలంగా పడేసాడు।

व्यापार-वीर्य-धैर्यैःby effort, strength and courage
व्यापार-वीर्य-धैर्यैः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootव्यापार (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + धैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः; Instrumental plural (by/with effort, strength, courage)
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
परिक्षीणम्exhausted
परिक्षीणम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरि-क्षी (धातु)
Formकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle: 'worn out/exhausted'
पराक्रमैःby acts of prowess
पराक्रमैः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural
तम्him (that one)
तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun 'him'
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)
दुन्दुभिम्Dundubhi
दुन्दुभिम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Proper noun (Dundubhi)
उद्यम्यhaving lifted
उद्यम्य:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-यम् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त (ल्यप्/त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव), 'having lifted/raising' (absolutive)
धरण्याम्on the ground
धरण्याम्:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootधरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular
अभ्यपातयत्threw down / struck down
अभ्यपातयत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-√पत्/पतय् (धातु; causative of पत्)
Formलङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense: 'caused to fall/struck down'

In the fight, Dundubhi fell down, with his strength, courage and prowess dwindled. Vali lifted his huge body and dashed it down on the ground. The body of Dundubhi dissolved into the five elements.

V
Vālī
D
Dundubhi

FAQs

The verse foregrounds mortality and consequence: life ends, bodies return to elements. A dharma-centered reading urges restraint and responsibility in the use of force, because death is irreversible and ethically weighty.

The duel concludes: Dundubhi’s capacities fail, Vālī delivers the crushing final blow, and Dundubhi dies.

Decisiveness and overpowering might; at the same time, the scene implicitly raises the epic’s recurring question of how power should be morally governed.