Shloka 23

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

विधमेच्च पुरीं लङ्कां शोषयेच्च महोदधिम्।रावणस्य च नीचस्य कीर्तिं नाम च नाशयेत्।।।।

Transliteration

vidhamec ca purīṃ laṅkāṃ śoṣayec ca mahodadhim | rāvaṇasya ca nīcasya kīrtiṃ nāma ca nāśayet ||

Translation

Er würde die Stadt Laṅkā zerstreuen, den großen Ozean austrocknen und selbst Namen und Ruhm des niederträchtigen Rāvaṇa vernichten.

Word by Word

विधमेत्would blow away, scatter

चand

पुरीम्city

लङ्काम्Lanka

शोषयेत्would dry up

चand

महोदधिम्the great ocean

रावणस्यof Ravana

चand

नीचस्यof the vile one

कीर्तिम्fame

नामeven the very (name)

चand

नाशयेत्would destroy

Context

"Had Rama known that I am in Lanka he would have blown up this city, dried up the ocean and destroyed the name and fame of the mean Ravana.

Characters & Entities

Sītā

Laṅkā

Mahodadhi (great ocean)

Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

The downfall of adharma includes moral disgrace: unrighteous power may appear mighty, but dharma ultimately annihilates both its force and its reputation.

What is the narrative situation?

Continuing her reflection, Sītā imagines the scale of Rāma’s retaliation against Laṅkā and Rāvaṇa if her location were known.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s world-protecting justice and the inevitability of adharma’s ruin (loss of name and fame).