Shloka 102

रावणस्य अन्त्येष्टिः

Ravana’s Funeral Rites and the Ethics of Post-War Conduct

Devanagari script

राघवस्यवच्श्रुत्वात्वरमाणोविभीषण: ।।।।संस्कारयितुमारेभेभ्रातरंरावणंहतम् ।

Transliteration

rāghavasya vacaḥ śrutvā tvaramāṇo vibhīṣaṇaḥ |

saṃskārayitum ārebhe bhrātaraṃ rāvaṇaṃ hatam ||

Translation

ครั้นได้สดับพระวาจาของราฆวะแล้ว วิภีษณะก็เร่งรุด และเริ่มประกอบสังสการแก่พี่ชายของตน คือราวณะผู้ถูกสังหาร

Word by Word

• राघवस्य: of Rāghava (Rāma)
• राघवस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वचः: words; speech
• वचः: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative) एकवचन (also possible nominative; here object of ‘hearing’)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• त्वरमाणः: hastening
• त्वरमाणः: कर्तृविशेषण (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — कर्तृविशेषण

• विभीषणः: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संस्कारयितुम्: to perform the funeral rites
• संस्कारयितुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सं + कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), अव्यय (indeclinable infinitive)

• आरेभे: began; undertook
• आरेभे: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भ्रातरम्: (his) brother
• भ्रातरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रावणम्: Rāvaṇa
• रावणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — भ्रातरम् इति विशेष्य

• हतम्: killed; slain
• हतम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — रावणम् इति विशेषण

Context

On hearing Raghava's words, Vibheeshana hastened to perform the last rites of his brother Ravana who had been killed.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Right counsel should be enacted promptly. Dharma is not only knowing what is right, but also carrying it out—especially in duties toward the dead.

What is the narrative situation?

After receiving Rāma’s instruction, Vibhīṣaṇa immediately undertakes the responsibility of conducting Rāvaṇa’s final rites.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vibhīṣaṇa’s dutifulness and steadiness: he honors kinship obligations while remaining aligned with dharma.