Shloka 28

खरवधः — The Slaying of Khara

Janasthana Battle Climax

Devanagari script

स वृत्र इव वज्रेण फेनेन नमुचिर्यथा।बलो वेन्द्राशनिहतो निपपात हतः खरः।।।।

Transliteration

sa vṛtra iva vajreṇa phenenā namucir yathā | balo vendrāśanihato nipapāta hataḥ kharaḥ ||

Translation

คระผู้ถูกสังหารก็ล้มลง—ดุจวฤตระถูกวัชระฟาด ดุจนมุจิพินาศด้วยฟอง หรือดุจพละถูกอาวุธแห่งพระอินทร์โค่นลง

Word by Word

• saḥ: he (Khara)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; refers to 'kharaḥ'

• vṛtraḥ: Vṛtra
• vṛtraḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; upamāna

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-marker (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle

• vajreṇa: by the thunderbolt
• vajreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental, Singular

• phenena: by foam/froth
• phenena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phena (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• namuciḥ: Namuci
• namuciḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; upamāna

• yathā: as, just as
• yathā: Upamā-marker (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable of comparison

• balaḥ: Bala
• balaḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक; proper name)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; upamāna

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्प)

• indrāśanihataḥ: struck by Indra's thunderbolt
• indrāśanihataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: indra + aśani + hata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: indrasya aśanibhiḥ hataḥ / indrāśanina hataḥ (struck by Indra's thunderbolt); Masculine, Nominative, Singular; qualifying 'balaḥ' (and by comparison Khara)

• nipapāta: fell down
• nipapāta: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√pat (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• hataḥ: killed, slain
• hataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; qualifying 'kharaḥ'

• kharaḥ: Khara
• kharaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Context

Khara fell down just like Vrutra or Bala killed by Indra's thunderbolt or like Numuchi by the froth of the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Khara
• Vṛtra
• Namuci
• Bala
• Indra
• vajra (thunderbolt)

FAQs

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

The defeat of oppressive forces is portrayed as part of a larger moral cosmos: as Indra defeats world-threatening adversaries, Rāma defeats those who terrorize the innocent.

What is the narrative situation?

Khara’s death is confirmed and magnified through famous mythic comparisons to earlier defeats of demonic enemies.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Parākrama (heroic might) aligned with dharma: power is validated when used to remove threats to the moral order.