Shloka 36

लङ्कानिरीक्षणं व्यूहविन्यासश्च

Survey of Lanka and Deployment of the Battle Formation

Devanagari script

शुकस्यवचनंश्रुत्वारावणोवाक्यमब्रवीत् ।रोषसंरक्तनयनोनिर्दहन्निनचक्षुषा ।।।।

Transliteration

śukasya vacanaṃ śrutvā rāvaṇo vākyam abravīt |

roṣasaṃraktanayano nirdahann iva cakṣuṣā ||

Translation

Nghe lời Śuka, Rāvaṇa liền đáp; đôi mắt ông đỏ rực vì phẫn nộ, như thể chỉ bằng ánh nhìn cũng có thể thiêu đốt.

Word by Word

• śukasya: of Shuka
• śukasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• vacanam: speech/words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive): 'having heard'

• rāvaṇaḥ: Ravana
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vākyam: a statement
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• abravīt: said/spoke
• abravīt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• roṣa-saṃrakta-nayanaḥ: with eyes reddened by anger
• roṣa-saṃrakta-nayanaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: roṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃrakta (कृदन्त; sam-√rañj) + nayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of rāvaṇaḥ): 'whose eyes were reddened with anger'

• nirdahan: burning
• nirdahan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√dah (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त): पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'burning' (used with iva: 'as if burning')

• iva: as if
• iva: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (simile particle): 'as if'

• cakṣuṣā: with (his) eye/gaze
• cakṣuṣā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

Context

Angry, redeyed Ravana, having heard Suka's words spoke as though he would burn him with his glance.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Uncontrolled anger (krodha) distorts judgment; dharma requires inner governance, especially in rulers whose emotions can endanger an entire polity.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa reacts with fury to Śuka’s counsel, setting the stage for his defiant refusal.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast, the verse highlights the needed virtue of self-control—shown here through its absence in Rāvaṇa.