Shloka 19

अरण्यकाण्डे द्वात्रिंशः सर्गः

Śūrpaṇakhā’s Report to Rāvaṇa and the Panegyric of His Might

Devanagari script

मन्त्रैरभिष्टुतं पुण्यमध्वरेषु द्विजातिभिः।हविर्धानेषु यस्सोममुपहन्ति महाबलः।।।।

Transliteration

mantrair abhiṣṭutaṃ puṇyam adhvareṣu dvijātibhiḥ |

havirdhāneṣu yaḥ somam upahanti mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

他虽力大无比，却在祭祀之处亵渎了神圣的苏摩——那被二次出生者于祭仪中以真言赞颂的苏摩——就在陈设供物的坛前。

Word by Word

• मन्त्रैः: by mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• अभिष्टुतम्: praised (with hymns)
• अभिष्टुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-स्तु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying 'सोमम्' (praised/recited over)

• पुण्यम्: sacred
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective to 'सोमम्' (holy)

• अध्वरेषु: in sacrifices
• अध्वरेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; locative plural

• द्विजातिभिः: by the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजातिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; 'twice-born' (brahmins)

• हविर्धानेषु: in the oblation-receptacles/places for offerings
• हविर्धानेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् + धान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; locative plural (in oblation-places/altars)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun (he who)

• सोमम्: Soma (juice)
• सोमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular

• उपहन्ति: they harm/defile
• उपहन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; present 3rd plural (they strike/defile)

• महाबलः: mighty
• महाबलः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective used substantively for the subject 'यः' (mighty)

Context

The mighty Ravana defiled the sacred Soma juice, worthy of oblations, extracted byBrahmins by chanting mantras in scrifices.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Soma
• Dvijāti (twice-born Brahmins)
• Adhvara (sacrifice)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes protecting sacred rites that sustain social and cosmic order. Violating yajña and profaning Soma symbolizes attacking the foundations of truth, duty, and communal welfare.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa is characterized through his crimes—especially disrupting sacrifices—setting the moral justification for his eventual downfall.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue implied is reverence for sacred duty (yajña-rakṣaṇa). By contrast, Rāvaṇa’s trait is impiety and hostility to Dharma.