Shloka 11

कुम्भकर्णवधः — Kumbhakarṇa’s Fall and the Renewal of the Engagement

Devanagari script

इनके अपराधी कभी जीवित नहीं रह सकते। ये वैरको कभी नहीं भूलते हैं और वैरका बदला लेकर ही रहते हैं। बदला लेनेके बाद भी अच्छी तरह शान्त नहीं हो पाते

Transliteration

ime 'parādhinaḥ kadācij jīvituṃ na śaknuvanti | te vairam kadācid api na vismaranti, vairasya pratikāraṃ kṛtvāiva tiṣṭhanti | pratikāraṃ kṛtvāpi samyak praśāntiṃ na yānti |

Translation

毗舍摩波耶那说道：“犯下此等罪过之人，不可容其苟活。他们从不忘仇，必执意追索，直至报复得逞；而即便复仇之后，也难得真正平息。”

Word by Word

इन्these (people)

अपराधिनःoffenders, culprits

कदाचित्ever, at any time

जीवितुम्to live

नnot

शक्नुवन्तिare able (can)

तेthey

वैरम्enmity, hostility

कदाचनever (at any time)

नnot

विस्मरन्तिforget

वैरस्यof enmity

प्रतिशोधम्revenge, retaliation

आदायhaving taken (having exacted)

एवindeed, only

तिष्ठन्तिremain, stand (are so)

प्रतिशोधंrevenge

कृत्वाhaving done

अपिeven, also

सुसम्यक्quite well, thoroughly

शान्ताःcalm, pacified

नnot

भवन्तिbecome, are

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the corrosive nature of enmity: a mind fixed on revenge cannot attain real peace, even after retaliation. It warns that wrongdoing and vengeful fixation perpetuate unrest rather than resolve it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, characterizes certain offenders as relentlessly vengeful—unable to forget hostility and unable to become tranquil even after taking revenge—thereby framing the moral and psychological stakes of ongoing conflict.