Shloka 11

गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

तथा पौलस्त्यतनयो रावणो नाम राक्षस: । रामेण निहतो राजन्‌ सानुबन्ध: सहानुग:

Transliteration

tathā paulastyatanayo rāvaṇo nāma rākṣasaḥ | rāmeṇa nihato rājan sānubandhaḥ sahānugaḥ ||

Translation

ฉันนั้นแล โอ้พระราชา รากษสชื่อราวณะ ผู้สืบสายปุลัสตยะ ถูกพระรามสังหาร—พร้อมทั้งผู้เกี่ยวพันและบริวารผู้ติดตาม

Word by Word

तथाthus, likewise

पौलस्त्य-तनयःthe son of Paulastya

रावणःRavana

नामby name

राक्षसःa Rakshasa (demon)

रामेणby Rama

निहतःslain, killed

राजन्O king

स-अनुबन्धःtogether with his connections/retinue (with all accompaniments)

सह-अनुगःtogether with followers

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva

Rāvaṇa

Rāma

Pulastya

rākṣasas

the King (addressed as rājan)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical exemplar: entrenched adharma does not fall alone—its supporting ties (anubandha) and followers (anuga) are also swept into the outcome. Righteous action, when it comes, is portrayed as comprehensive, holding both the principal wrongdoer and the enabling network accountable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses the king and cites the well-known precedent of Rāvaṇa—identified as a descendant of Pulastya—being killed by Rāma, along with his associates and followers. The example is used to reinforce a broader point about the fate of powerful wrongdoers and the collapse of their supporting forces.