Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 46, Shloka 13

शरबन्धनम् (The Binding by Arrows) / Indrajit’s Illusory Assault and the Vanaras’ Consolation

Devanagari script

नेमौमोक्षयितुंशक्यावेतस्मादिषुबन्धनात् ।।6.46.13।।सर्वैरपिसमागम्यसर्षिसङ्घैस्सुरासुरैः ।

Transliteration

na imau mokṣayituṃ śakyau etasmād iṣu-bandhanāt | sarvair api samāgamya saṛṣi-saṅghaiḥ surāsuraiḥ || 6.46.13 ||

Translation

Kahit magtipon ang lahat ng nilalang—mga pangkat ng rishi, mga deva, at maging mga asura—hindi pa rin mapapalaya ang dalawang ito mula sa pagkakagapos ng mga palaso.

Word by Word

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

• इमौ: these two
• इमौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘these two’

• मोक्षयितुम्: to free
• मोक्षयितुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/Infinitive complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); ‘to release/free’

• शक्यौ: possible (to be freed)
• शक्यौ: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘possible/able’ (predicate adjective)

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘from this’

• इषुबन्धनात्: from the bondage of arrows
• इषुबन्धनात्: अपादान (Apādāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इषूणां बन्धनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: करण/सहकारि (Instrument/Agentive collective)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘by all’

• अपि: even
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘even/also’

• समागम्य: having assembled
• समागम्य: पूर्वकाल (Gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having assembled/come together’

• सर्षिसङ्घैः: with groups of sages
• सर्षिसङ्घैः: सहकारि (Accompaniment/Instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सह-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास: ‘ऋषिसङ्घैः सह’; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सुरासुरैः: with devas and asuras
• सुरासुरैः: सहकारि (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Context

"Even if all the sages, Devatas and Rakshasas collected together come, they cannot get liberated from this bondage of arrows."

Characters & Entities

• Indrajit (Meghanāda)
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Suras (gods)
• Asuras

FAQs

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

A dharmic lens reads this as a caution against overclaiming invincibility: pride that denies the possibility of release or grace is spiritually dangerous and narratively foreshadows reversal.

What is the narrative situation?

Indrajit asserts that his arrow-bond has rendered Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa impossible to free, even with cosmic assistance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse primarily displays Indrajit’s overconfidence; in contrast, dharmic virtue would be humility before the larger moral order.