Shloka 29

सीताहरणोत्तरं लङ्काप्रवेशः

Sita’s Abduction and Ravana’s Entry into Lanka

Devanagari script

ततः प्रियं वाक्यमुपेत्य राक्षसा महार्थमष्टावभिवाद्य रावणम्।विहाय लङ्कां सहिताः प्रतस्थिरे यतो जनस्थानमलक्ष्यदर्शनाः।।।।

Transliteration

tataḥ priyaṃ vākyam upetya rākṣasā mahārtham aṣṭāv abhivādya rāvaṇam |

vihāya laṅkāṃ sahitāḥ pratasthire yato janasthānam alakṣyadarśanāḥ ||

Translation

Daraufhin nahmen die acht Rākṣasas Rāvaṇas wohlgefällige Worte von großer Bedeutung entgegen, erwiesen ihm ihre Ehrerbietung und brachen gemeinsam von Laṅkā nach Jana­sthāna auf, so ziehend, dass sie ungesehen blieben.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (काल/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• priyam: pleasing
• priyam: Karma (कर्म/object; qualifies 'vākyam')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vākyam: statement/words
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म/object of 'upetya' in sense 'having received/approached')
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• upetya: having approached/received
• upetya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + i (धातु) + lyap (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-कृदन्त (gerund, ल्यप्/त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थ); 'having approached/obtained'

• rākṣasāḥ: demons
• rākṣasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• mahārtham: of great meaning
• mahārtham: Karma (कर्म/object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + artha (प्रातिपदिक; महा + अर्थ)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् अर्थः यस्य तत् = of great import); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); 'vākyam' विशेषण

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Karta (कर्ता; apposition to rākṣasāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• abhivādya: having saluted
• abhivādya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + vad (धातु) + lyap (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-कृदन्त (gerund, ल्यप्); 'having saluted'

• rāvaṇam: Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇam: Karma (कर्म/object of 'abhivādya')
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vihāya: having left
• vihāya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + hā (धातु) + lyap (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-कृदन्त (gerund, ल्यप्); 'having left/abandoned'

• laṅkām: Laṅkā
• laṅkām: Apādāna (अपादान/source; place left)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṅkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• sahitāḥ: together
• sahitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); 'together/with one another'

• pratasthire: set out/departed
• pratasthire: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + sthā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• yataḥ: whither/to where
• yataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक/सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (whither/in the direction where)

• janasthānam: Janasthāna
• janasthānam: Gati-karma (गतिकर्म/destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janasthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• alakṣyadarśanāḥ: unseen/invisible to sight
• alakṣyadarśanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; qualifier of rākṣasāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + lakṣya + darśana (प्रातिपदिक; अलक्ष्य + दर्शन)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां दर्शनं अलक्ष्यम् = whose appearance is unperceivable); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); subject-qualifier

Context

Ravana soon crossed the refuge of rivers, the abode of Varuna, god of the sea, inexhaustible ocean, and the home for whales and crocodiles.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Eight rākṣasas
• Laṅkā

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how unethical leadership mobilizes covert action; dharma demands transparency and righteous intent, not secrecy in wrongdoing.

What is the narrative situation?

After hearing Rāvaṇa’s instructions, eight rākṣasas salute him and leave Laṅkā together, heading toward Jana­sthāna unseen.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

A negative exemplar: discipline and coordination used for adharma; the epic warns that competence without righteousness becomes harmful.