Shloka 17

विराधवधः

The Slaying (Burial) of Viradha

Devanagari script

प्रसाद्यमानश्च मया सोऽब्रवीन्मां महायशाः।यदा दाशरथी रामस्त्वां वधिष्यति संयुगे।तदा प्रकृतिमापन्नो भवान्स्वर्गं गमिष्यति।।।।

Transliteration

prasādyamānaś ca mayā so 'bravīn māṃ mahāyaśāḥ |

yadā dāśarathī rāmas tvāṃ vadhiṣyati saṃyuge |

tadā prakṛtim āpanno bhavān svargaṃ gamiṣyati ||

Translation

เมื่อข้าพยายามขอความเมตตา ท่านผู้มีเกียรติยศนั้นได้กล่าวแก่ข้าว่า: ‘เมื่อพระราม โอรสทศรถ จะสังหารเจ้ากลางสมรภูมิ เมื่อนั้นเจ้าจะกลับคืนสู่สภาพเดิม และจักไปสู่สวรรค์’

Word by Word

• प्रसाद्यमानः: being appeased
• प्रसाद्यमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-साद् (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय, शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (Present passive participle/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'being appeased'

• च: and
• च: None (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोग्य, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• माम्: to me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोग्य, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• महायशाः: the illustrious one
• महायशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महायशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः महत् + यशस् (कर्मधारय)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal conjunction/adverb)

• दाशरथी: son of Daśaratha
• दाशरथी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाशरथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पितृनाम-व्युत्पन्न (patronymic)

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दाशरथी इति समानाधिकरण

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोग्य, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वधिष्यति: will kill
• वधिष्यति: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• प्रकृतिम्: original nature/form
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपन्नः: having regained
• आपन्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः 'having attained/returned to'

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific 'you')

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गमिष्यति: will go
• गमिष्यति: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Context

When I appealed to him, that lord of great fame (Kubera) said that I would get back my original form and ascend to heaven when Rama, son of Dasaratha, would kill me in a duel.

Characters & Entities

• Kubera (implied by context as the speaker of the condition)
• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

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

Dharma can become the instrument of liberation: righteous action (Rāma’s slaying of a harmful being) simultaneously restores cosmic order and grants release to the cursed.

What is the narrative situation?

Virādha recounts Kubera’s statement that his curse would end when Rāma kills him in battle, after which he will regain his true form and go to heaven.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s role as a restorer of order—his battle is not mere violence but dharmic intervention with purifying consequences.