Shloka 24
रावणस्य तर्जनं सीताया धर्मोक्तिः
Ravana’s Threats and Sita’s Dharma-Centered Reply
नीलजीमूतसङ्काशो महाभुजशिरोधरः।सिंहसत्त्वगतिः श्रीमान् दीप्त जिह्वाग्रलोचनः।।।।
nīlajīmūtasaṅkāśo mahābhujaśirodharaḥ | siṁhasattvagatiḥ śrīmān dīptajihvāgralocanaḥ ||
Rāvaṇa glich einer Masse dunkler Wolken: breitarmig und dickhalsig; mit der wuchtigen Gangart eines Löwen schritt er dahin, strahlend, mit flammenden Augen und Zunge.
Prosperous Ravana looked like a mass of dark cloud, with strong arms, stout neck, gait of a lion, a blazing tongue and burning eyes;
FAQs
External splendor and power are ethically neutral; without dharma they become instruments of fear and oppression.
The narration shifts to a vivid physical description of Rāvaṇa as he reacts to Sītā, heightening the sense of threat.
Implicitly, discernment: the text contrasts imposing appearance with moral deficiency, teaching that dharma—not might—defines greatness.