Shloka 23

कुम्भकर्णस्य प्रबोधनम्

The Awakening and Commissioning of Kumbhakarna

Devanagari script

कुरुष्वमेप्रियहितमेतदुत्तमंयथाप्रियंप्रियरणबान्धवप्रिय ।स्वतेजसाविधमसपत्नवाहिनींशरद्घनंपवनइवोद्यतोमहान् ।।6.62.23।।

Transliteration

kuruṣva me priyahitam etad uttamaṁ yathāpriyaṁ priya-raṇa-bāndhava-priya |

sva-tejasā vidhama sapatna-vāhinīṁ śarad-ghanaṁ pavana ivodyato mahān ||6.62.23||

Translation

ขอท่านผู้เป็นที่รัก—ผู้หลงใหลศึกและเป็นที่รักของวงศ์ญาติ—จงกระทำประโยชน์อันสูงสุดนี้แก่เราให้สมดังใจ ด้วยรัศมีเดชของท่านเอง จงสลายกองทัพศัตรู ดุจลมมหึมาลุกขึ้นพัดไล่เมฆฝนแห่งสารทกาล

Word by Word

• कुरुष्व: do
• कुरुष्व: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; छान्दस/वैदिकरूपः 'कुरुष्व' (कुरु + स्व)

• मे: for me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-एकवचन (Dative/Genitive sg; here dative: 'for me')

• प्रियहितम्: a dear benefit / what is good and pleasing
• प्रियहितम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('प्रियं च हितं च' / 'प्रियं हितम्'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रियहितम् इति विशेषणम्

• उत्तमम्: best
• उत्तमम्: विशेषण (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; एतत्/प्रियहितम् इति विशेषणम्

• यथाप्रियम्: as you like
• यथाप्रियम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (according to pleasure/as desired)

• प्रियरणबान्धवप्रिय: O lover of battle, dear to kinsmen
• प्रियरणबान्धवप्रिय: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + रण (प्रातिपदिक) + बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सम्बोधनार्थे): 'प्रियः रणस्य' + 'प्रियः बान्धवानाम्' (epithet); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वतेजसा: by your own splendor
• स्वतेजसा: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('स्वस्य तेजसा'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विधम: blow away/disperse
• विधम: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √ध्मा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• असपत्नवाहिनीम्: the unrivalled army
• असपत्नवाहिनीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + सपत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नञ्-तत्पुरुष: 'सपत्नः' = rival; 'असपत्न' = without rival); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शरद्घनम्: an autumn cloud
• शरद्घनम्: उपमान (Upamāna/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक) + घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('शरदि घनः'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान (object of comparison)

• पवनः: wind
• पवनः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-निपात (particle of comparison)

• उद्यतः: risen/poised
• उद्यतः: विशेषण (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + √या/√यत् (धातु) → उद्यत (क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used adjectivally: risen/ready), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पवनः इति विशेषणम्

• महान्: great
• महान्: विशेषण (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पवनः इति विशेषणम्

Context

Getting up from his seat, Kumbhakarna endowed with extraordinary might bowed down and clasped his brother's feet and asked him, what task he had to do?

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Kumbhakarṇa
• enemy army (sapatna-vāhinī)

FAQs

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

It dramatizes a dharma-conflict: affection and kinship are invoked to justify violence; the epic’s moral frame insists that right action must align with satya and justice, not merely with what benefits one’s own side.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa explicitly asks Kumbhakarṇa to annihilate the opposing army, using poetic imagery and appeals to his nature as a warrior.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial zeal and loyalty to family are emphasized; the broader Ramayana teaching is that the highest virtue is righteous discernment guiding loyalty.