Shloka 7

सीताहरणोत्तरं लङ्काप्रवेशः

Sita’s Abduction and Ravana’s Entry into Lanka

Devanagari script

वनानि सरितश्शैलांत्सरांसि च विहायसा।।।।स क्षिप्रं समतीयाय शरश्चापादिव च्युतः।

Transliteration

vanāni saritaś śailān sarāṃsi ca vihāyasā |

sa kṣipraṃ samatīyāya śaraś cāpād iva cyutaḥ ||

Translation

Wie ein vom Bogen gelöster Pfeil schoss er rasch durch den Himmel und zog über Wälder, Flüsse, Berge und Seen hinweg.

Word by Word

• vanāni: forests
• vanāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• saritaḥ: rivers
• saritaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• śailān: mountains
• śailān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• sarāṃsi: lakes/ponds
• sarāṃsi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• vihāyasā: through the sky
• vihāyasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vihāyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• kṣipram: quickly/at once
• kṣipram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣipram (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• samatīyāya: crossed over
• samatīyāya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ati-i (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada (as used here)

• śaraḥ: an arrow
• śaraḥ: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; upamāna

• cāpāt: from a bow
• cāpāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (5th case), Ekavacana

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya

• cyutaḥ: released/fallen
• cyutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cyu (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; Bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle)

Context

Ravana crossed the lake Pampa and flew towards the city of Lanka carrying with him lamenting daughter of Videha.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sky (vihāyasa)
• Forests
• Rivers
• Mountains
• Lakes

FAQs

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

Speed and power are ethically neutral; dharma judges the purpose—here, extraordinary force serves wrongdoing.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa rapidly traverses the landscape through the air while carrying Sītā away.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast, restraint (maryādā) is implied as the virtue absent in Rāvaṇa—capability without self-control becomes destructive.