Shloka 3

कबन्धमोक्षः—सुग्रीवमैत्र्युपदेशः

Kabandha’s Release and Counsel to Befriend Sugriva

Devanagari script

तच्छरीरं कबन्धस्य घृतपिण्डोपमं महत्।मेदसा पच्यमानस्य मन्दं दहति पावकः।।।।

Transliteration

tac charīraṃ kabandhasya ghṛtapiṇḍopamaṃ mahat |

medasā pacyamānasya mandaṃ dahati pāvakaḥ ||

Translation

กายอันใหญ่ของกบันธะ ดุจแท่งเนยใสก้อนมหึมา ถูกไฟเผาไหม้อย่างช้าๆ เมื่อไขมันของมันเป็นเชื้อหล่อเลี้ยงเปลวเพลิง

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; demonstrative qualifying śarīram

• śarīram: body
• śarīram: Karma (कर्म; object of dahati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• kabandhasya: of Kabandha
• kabandhasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kabandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• ghṛta-piṇḍa-upamam: like a ball of ghee
• ghṛta-piṇḍa-upamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghṛta-piṇḍa-upama (घृत + पिण्ड + उपम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of śarīram; ‘like a lump of ghee’

• mahat: great/huge
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (महत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of śarīram

• medasā: with fat
• medasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medas (मेदस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• pacyamānasya: of the burning (body)
• pacyamānasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pac (पच् धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ/Śānac? actually passive present participle: Śānac (शानच्) in karmaṇi, Genitive (Ṣaṣṭhī) Ekavacana, Napumsaka/Puṃliṅga agreement with śarīram; ‘of (the body) being cooked/burnt’

• mandam: slowly
• mandam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: manda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverbial accusative)

• dahati: burns
• dahati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (दह् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• pāvakaḥ: fire
• pāvakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Context

Sugriva will find out the lady of purity and chastity brooding over you in separation in the abode of Ravana. He can send gigantic monkeys in different directions in order to search for her.

Characters & Entities

• Kabandha
• fire (pāvaka)

FAQs

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

The verse frames cremation/fire as a purifier: the body is consumed, hinting at moral purification and release from past affliction—an ethical reminder that embodied suffering is transient.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rama and Lakshmana slay Kabandha and place him on a pyre, his body is burning, setting up his impending transformation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s dutiful compassion: he performs the act that enables Kabandha’s release, reflecting righteous action even toward a former aggressor.