Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 29

इन्द्रजितः ब्रह्मास्त्र-यागः तथा वानरसेनाविध्वंसः

Indrajit’s Brahmastra Rite and the Crushing of the Vanara Host

Devanagari script

स पावकंपावकदीप्ततेजाहुत्वामहेन्द्रप्रतिमप्रभावः ।स चापबाणासिरथाश्वसूतःखेऽन्तर्दधेऽत्मानमचिन्त्यरूपः ।।।।

Transliteration

sa pāvakaṃ pāvakadīptatejā āhutvā mahendrapratimaprabhāvaḥ | sa cāpabāṇāsirathāśvasūtaḥ khe 'ntardadhe 'tmānam acintyarūpaḥ ||

Translation

Dâng lễ vật vào lửa, rực cháy như chính Hỏa Thần, oai lực sánh tựa Đại Đế Indra; Indrajit, hình tướng khó lường, trang bị cung tên, kiếm, chiến xa, ngựa và người đánh xe, liền ẩn mình vào hư không.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun

• pāvakam: fire (Agni)
• pāvakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• pāvaka-dīpta-tejāḥ: having fire-like blazing splendor
• pāvaka-dīpta-tejāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक) + dīpta (कृदन्त) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpurusha: pāvakena dīptaṃ tejaḥ yasya (blazing with fire-like radiance)

• hutvā: having offered (in sacrifice)
• hutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), having offered/sacrificed

• mahendra-pratima-prabhāvaḥ: having power like Mahendra (Indra)
• mahendra-pratima-prabhāvaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahendra (प्रातिपदिक) + pratima (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpurusha: mahendrasya pratimaḥ prabhāvaḥ yasya

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; reiterative pronoun

• cāpa-bāṇa-asi-ratha-aśva-sūtaḥ: (with) bow, arrows, sword, chariot, horses, and charioteer
• cāpa-bāṇa-asi-ratha-aśva-sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + asi (प्रातिपदिक) + ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; dvandva (समाहार/इतरेतर) listing equipment/attendants; used as epithet

• khe: in the sky
• khe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• antardadhe: disappeared
• antardadhe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: antar-dhā (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• ātmānam: himself
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; reflexive object

• acintya-rūpaḥ: of inconceivable form
• acintya-rūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-cintya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; bahuvrīhi: acintyaṃ rūpaṃ yasya

Context

Flaming like fire god, endowed with the prowess of Indra, possessing inconceivable form, Indrajith with his bow, arrows and chariot disappeared into the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Indrajit
• Agni (Pāvaka)
• Indra (Mahendra)
• bow
• arrows
• sword
• chariot
• horses
• charioteer
• sky (kha)

FAQs

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

The verse implicitly contrasts power with righteousness: extraordinary abilities (even divinely aided) are not proof of Dharma; ethical legitimacy depends on purpose and conduct, not mere might.

What is the narrative situation?

After completing the oblation and empowerment, Indrajit becomes invisible/vanishes into the sky to fight from concealment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial prowess and tactical cunning (though ethically ambiguous in the Ramayana’s dharmic frame).