Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 41

कुम्भकर्णोपदेशः

Kumbhakarna’s Counsel and War-Boast to Ravana

Devanagari script

मांनिहत्यकिलत्वांहिनिहनिष्यतिराघवः ।नाहमात्मनिसन्तापंगच्छेयंराक्षसाधिप ।।6.63.41।।

Transliteration

māṃ nihatya kila tvāṃ hi nihaniṣyati rāghavaḥ | nāham ātmani santāpaṃ gaccheyaṃ rākṣasādhipa ||6.63.41||

Translation

Raghava sẽ chỉ giết ngài sau khi đã giết tôi; vì vậy, thưa chúa tể của loài Rakshasa, tôi sẽ không để nỗi đau khổ xâm chiếm tâm hồn mình.

Word by Word

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• nihatya: having killed
• nihatya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-भाव), with prefix ni-; 'having killed'

• kila: indeed/they say
• kila: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) indicating report/indeed

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• hi: certainly/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• nihaniṣyati: will kill
• nihaniṣyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), with prefix ni-

• rāghavaḥ: Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ātmani: in myself
• ātmani: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• santāpam: distress/torment
• santāpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: santāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gaccheyam: I would go/come to (i.e., feel)
• gaccheyam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• rākṣasa-adhipa: O lord of Rakshasas
• rākṣasa-adhipa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: 'lord of Rakshasas'

Context

"Rakshasa king! Raghava will kill you only after killing me. Never give way for distress."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

The verse praises inner firmness (dhairya) in the face of death. In dharmic terms, courage is virtuous when aligned with righteous ends; here it is courage in service of an unrighteous cause.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker asserts that Rāma would have to defeat him first before reaching Rāvaṇa, and uses that claim to calm Rāvaṇa’s fear.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadfastness and fearlessness—refusal to succumb to inner distress.