Shloka 40

रावणस्य अन्त्येष्टिः

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

Devanagari script

दृप्तामर्दनाःशूराःप्रख्यातबलपौरुषाः ।।।।अकुतश्चिद्भयानाथाममेत्यासीन्मतिर्दृढा ।

Transliteration

dṛptā-mardanāḥ śūrāḥ prakhyāta-bala-pauruṣāḥ |

akutaścid-bhayā nāthā mameti āsīn matir dṛḍhā ||

Translation

“ผู้คุ้มครองของข้าคือวีรบุรุษผู้ปราบผู้หยิ่งผยอง เลื่องชื่อด้วยกำลังและเดชชายชาตรี ไม่หวาดหวั่นต่อสิ่งใด”—นี่คือความเชื่อมั่นอันแน่วแน่ของข้า

Word by Word

• हा: alas!
• हा: Discourse/Exclamation (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शोक-उद्गार (interjection)

• पश्चिमा: last/final
• पश्चिमा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem nom sg)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (gen sg)

• सम्प्राप्ता: has come upon
• सम्प्राप्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem nom sg; 'attained/come upon')

• दशा: state/condition
• दशा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom sg)

• वैधव्यदायिनी: bringing widowhood
• वैधव्यदायिनी: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैधव्य + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (vaidhavya-dāyinī: giving widowhood)

• या: which
• या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (was)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• सम्बुद्धा: realized
• सम्बुद्धा: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + बुध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem nom sg; 'understood/realized')

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Kala (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: ever/at any time)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even)

• मन्दया: by foolish (me)
• मन्दया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (instr sg; 'by foolish (me)')

Context

"Those who are capable of protecting me are warriors, as they are capable of crushing the enemies and renowned for their pride of their strength. They had no fear from any quarter. I had this conviction in my mind."

Characters & Entities

• Mandodarī
• Rāvaṇa
• rākṣasa warriors (implicit protectors)

FAQs

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

It highlights the danger of false reliance on force; dharma teaches that protection rooted in righteousness is steadier than protection rooted in mere might.

What is the narrative situation?

Mandodarī recalls her former confidence in Rāvaṇa’s defenders, now shattered by the outcome of the war.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Humility born of insight: she recognizes that her certainty was misplaced.