Shloka 8

कुन्तीगर्भगोपनम् तथा मञ्जूषाप्रवाहः

Kuntī’s concealed childbirth and the river-borne casket

Devanagari script

कृत्वा रामस्य रूपाणि लक्ष्मणस्य च भारत । अभिदुद्राव रामं च लक्ष्मणं च दशानन:,भारत! दशाननने श्रीराम और लक्ष्मणके ही बहुत-से रूप धारण करके श्रीराम और लक्ष्मणपर धावा किया

Transliteration

kṛtvā rāmasya rūpāṇi lakṣmaṇasya ca bhārata | abhidudrāva rāmaṃ ca lakṣmaṇaṃ ca daśānanaḥ ||

Translation

โอ ภารตะ! ทศานน (ราวณะ) แปลงกายเป็นรูปคล้ายพระรามและพระลักษมณ์หลายประการ แล้วพุ่งเข้าจู่โจมทั้งพระรามและพระลักษมณ์

Word by Word

कृत्वाhaving made/assuming

रामस्यof Rama

रूपाणिforms/appearances

लक्ष्मणस्यof Lakshmana

चand

भारतO Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

अभिदुद्रावrushed upon/charged at

रामम्Rama (as object)

चand

लक्ष्मणम्Lakshmana (as object)

चand

दशाननःthe ten-faced one (Ravana)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

मार्कण्डेय (Mārkaṇḍeya)

भ

भारत (Bhārata—addressed person, traditionally Yudhiṣṭhira)

र

राम (Rāma)

ल

लक्ष्मण (Lakṣmaṇa)

द

दशानन (Daśānana/Rāvaṇa)

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?

Adharma often advances through deception—by imitating the appearance of the righteous—so discernment (viveka) is essential; true dharma is known not merely by outer form but by conduct and intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāvaṇa (Daśānana) creates multiple deceptive forms resembling Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa and then charges at the real Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, intensifying the conflict through illusion and surprise.