Shloka 36

लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka

Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ

Devanagari script

किं ब्रह्मणस्सर्वपितामहस्य सर्वस्य धातुश्चतुराननस्य।इहाऽऽगतो वानररूपधारी रक्षोपसंहारकरः प्रकोपः।।।।

Transliteration

kiṁ brahmaṇaḥ sarva-pitāmahasya sarvasya dhātuś catur-ānanasya |

ihāgato vānararūpa-dhārī rakṣopasaṁhārakaraḥ prakopaḥ ||

Translation

“Ito kaya ang poot ni Brahmā na may apat na mukha—ang lolo ng lahat, ang tagapaglikha ng mga daigdig—na dumating dito na may anyong unggoy, upang lipulin ang mga rākṣasa?”

Word by Word

• किम्: what? / is it that...?
• किम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सर्व-पितामहस्य: of the grandsire of all
• सर्व-पितामहस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः इति विशेषण/अपपद-सम्बन्ध

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'of all'

• धातुः: of the creator (Dhātṛ)
• धातुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (धातुः = धातॄ-षष्ठी एकवचन)

• चतुराननस्य: of the four-faced one
• चतुराननस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'four-faced' (Brahmā)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक (here)

• आगतः: has come
• आगतः: Kriya (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• वानर-रूप-धारी: wearing a monkey-form
• वानर-रूप-धारी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रकोपः)

• रक्षः-उपसंहार-करः: causing the destruction of demons
• रक्षः-उपसंहार-करः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) + उपसंहार (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रकोपः)

• प्रकोपः: wrath / fury
• प्रकोपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय/कर्ता-रूपेण

Context

'Or is it Grandfather Brahma, the supreme four-faced god enraged and arrived in the form of vanara to kill the clan of demons?

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturānana, Svayambhū implied)
• rākṣasas

FAQs

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

Dharma is portrayed as protected by cosmic governance: when adharma reaches excess, even the highest powers are imagined as intervening to restore balance.

What is the narrative situation?

The rākṣasas, unable to accept that a single vanara could do this, hypothesize a divine agency—Brahmā’s wrath—behind the destruction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hanumān’s role as dharma-sādhaka (agent of righteous purpose) is indirectly affirmed: his actions appear superhuman and aligned with restoration of order.