Shloka 42

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

स सम्भ्रमत्रस्तविषण्णराक्षसां समुज्ज्वलज्ज्वालहुताशनाङ्किताम्।ददर्श लङ्कां हनुमान्महामनाः स्वयम्भूकोपोपहतामिवावनिम्।।।।

Transliteration

sa sambhrama-trasta-viṣaṇṇa-rākṣasāṁ samujjvala-jvāla-hutāśanāṅkitām |

dadarśa laṅkāṁ hanumān mahāmanāḥ svayambhū-kopopahatām ivāvanim ||

Translation

หนุมานผู้มีจิตใจยิ่งใหญ่ทอดพระเนตรลังกา—เหล่ารากษสตื่นตระหนก หวาดกลัว และสิ้นหวัง—ถูกตราประทับด้วยเปลวไฟอันลุกโชติช่วง ราวกับแผ่นดินถูกพิโรธของสวยัมภู (พรหมา) ประหารในกาลปรลัย

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सम्भ्रम-त्रस्त-विषण्ण-राक्षसाम्: having demons bewildered, frightened, dejected
• सम्भ्रम-त्रस्त-विषण्ण-राक्षसाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्भ्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रस्त (कृदन्त, क्त) + विषण्ण (कृदन्त, क्त) + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘सम्भ्रमेण त्रस्ताः विषण्णाः राक्षसाः यस्यां सा’ (in which the demons are bewildered, frightened, dejected)

• समुज्ज्वलत्-ज्वाला-हुताशन-अङ्किताम्: marked by blazing fire-flames
• समुज्ज्वलत्-ज्वाला-हुताशन-अङ्किताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+उज्ज्वल (धातु/प्रातिपदिक) → उज्ज्वलत् (कृदन्त, शतृ) + ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + हुताशन (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘समुज्ज्वलन्त्यः ज्वालाः’ (कर्मधारय) + ‘ज्वाला-हुताशन’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + अङ्किता (marked/covered)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लङ्काम्: Lanka
• लङ्काम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• हनुमान्: Hanuman
• हनुमान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हनुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महामनाः: great-minded
• महामनाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘महान् मनः यस्य सः’ (great-minded)

• स्वयम्भू-कोप-उपहताम्: struck by the Creator’s wrath
• स्वयम्भू-कोप-उपहताम्: Upamana-dharma (उपमान-धर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक) + कोप (प्रातिपदिक) + उपहत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘स्वयम्भोः कोपः’ षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, तेन उपहता (struck by Brahmā’s wrath)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• अवनिम्: the earth
• अवनिम्: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Context

Highly sensitive Hanuman saw the city of Lanka filled with perplexed, scared and sorrowful demons, Lanka succumbed to the flames of fire-god and looked as if it was hit by the anger of Brahma, the self-born god.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Laṅkā
• Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• hutāśana (fire)

FAQs

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

Dharma is framed as cosmic order: when violated, events can resemble pralaya-like upheaval, reminding that power divorced from righteousness is ultimately unsustainable.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān surveys the burning Laṅkā and the panic of its inhabitants; the narrator compares the scene to a world struck by Brahmā’s wrath at dissolution.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Mahāmanas (great-mindedness) in Hanumān: even amid devastation, he is portrayed as a disciplined agent of a larger righteous purpose, not a mere destroyer.