Shloka 80

रावणस्य अन्त्येष्टिः

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

Devanagari script

प्रसुप्तइवशोकार्तांकिंमां न प्रतिभाषसे ।महावीर्यस्यदक्षस्यसम्युगेष्वपलायिनः ।।।।यातुधानस्यदौहित्रींकिंमां न प्रतिभाषसे ।

Transliteration

prasupta iva śokārtāṁ kiṁ māṁ na pratibhāṣase | mahā-vīryasya dakṣasya samyugeṣv apalāyinaḥ || yātudhānasya dauhitrīṁ kiṁ māṁ na pratibhāṣase ||

Translation

ท่านนอนนิ่งราวกับหลับใหล ขณะที่ข้าพเจ้าถูกความโศกครอบงำ เหตุใดจึงไม่ตอบข้าพเจ้า? เหตุใดจึงเมินเฉยต่อข้าพเจ้า ผู้เป็นหลานสาวของยาตุธานผู้ทรงเดช ฉลาดหลักแหลม และไม่เคยหนีจากสมรภูมิ?

Word by Word

• prasuptaḥ: asleep
• prasuptaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√svap (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta (क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate to 'tvam' understood

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमावाचक अव्यय)

• śokārtām: grief-stricken
• śokārtām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: śokārta (तत्पुरुष: 'afflicted by grief'); Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies mām

• kim: why?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative particle (प्रश्नार्थक)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• pratibhāṣase: you reply/speak to
• pratibhāṣase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (present), Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• mahāvīryasya: of great valor
• mahāvīryasya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: mahā-vīrya (कर्मधारय: 'great valor'); Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; qualifies dakṣasya/apalāyinaḥ

• dakṣasya: of the skillful
• dakṣasya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; 'of the skillful'

• samyugeṣu: in battles
• samyugeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samyuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Bahuvacana

• apalāyinaḥ: of the non-fleeing one
• apalāyinaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-palāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; 'of one who does not flee'

• yātudhānasya: of the rākṣasa/demon
• yātudhānasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātudhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• dauhitrīm: granddaughter
• dauhitrīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dauhitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; apposition to mām

• kim: why?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative particle (repeated)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• pratibhāṣase: you reply
• pratibhāṣase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (present), Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada (repeated)

Context

"You are sleeping like this while I am stricken with grief. Why are you not replying to me? I am the granddaughter of Malyavantha, a great hero who fought with Daksha. Why are you disowning me and not answering me?"

Characters & Entities

• Mandodarī
• Rāvaṇa
• Dakṣa

FAQs

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

It highlights the truth that death silences worldly relationships; Dharma-oriented pride in lineage cannot undo mortality or past choices.

What is the narrative situation?

Mandodarī pleads for a response from the fallen Rāvaṇa, invoking her lineage to intensify the personal appeal.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Loyalty and marital attachment, expressed as insistence on dialogue even when it is no longer possible.