Shloka 14

कबन्धवधः

The Severing of Kabandha’s Arms and the Opening of Dialogue

Devanagari script

अस्य देवप्रभावस्य वसतो विजने वने।रक्षसाऽपहृता पत्नी यामिच्छन्ताविहागतौ।।।।

Transliteration

asya devaprabhāvasya vasato vijane vane | rakṣasā ’pahṛtā patnī yām icchantāv ihāgatau || 3.70.14 ||

Translation

Khi Rāma—đấng có uy lực như chư thiên—đang sống trong khu rừng hoang vắng này, một rākṣasa đã bắt cóc hiền thê của Người. Chúng ta đến đây để tìm nàng.

Word by Word

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th), Singular

• deva-prabhāvasya: of (one) of divine might
• deva-prabhāvasya: Sambandha-viśeṣaṇa (सम्बन्ध-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular; adjective qualifying asya; ‘having divine power’ (तत्पुरुष)

• vasataḥ: while (he) was living
• vasataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ) used as genitive singular (षष्ठी एकवचन) of ‘living’; agrees with asya

• vijane: in a lonely/deserted
• vijane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vijana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adjective of vane

• vane: forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• rakṣasā: by a demon
• rakṣasā: Karta (कर्ता; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• apahṛtā: abducted/carried off
• apahṛtā: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st), Singular; predicate of patnī

• patnī: wife
• patnī: Karta (कर्ता; subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• yām: whom
• yām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun, Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• icchantau: wishing (to find)
• icchantau: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Dual; qualifies implied ‘we two’ (Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa)

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• āgatau: (we two) came
• āgatau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Dual; ‘having come’

Context

He is equal to a god in prowess. While living in this desolate forest his wife has been carried off by a demon. We both came here searching for her.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Lakṣmaṇa
• rākṣasa (demon)

FAQs

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

Dharma as marital fidelity and protective duty: the search for Sītā is presented as a righteous obligation, not merely personal grief.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa explains to Kabandha that Sītā has been abducted by a rākṣasa and that they are searching for her.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Commitment and perseverance—continuing a righteous mission despite isolation and danger.