Shloka 22

त्रिजटास्वप्नवर्णनम्

Trijata’s Dream-Omens and the Rakshasis’ Reversal

Devanagari script

रावणश्च मया दृष्टः क्षितौ तैलसमुक्षितः।रक्तवासाः पिबन्मत्तः करवीरकृतस्रजः।।5.27.22।।

Transliteration

rāvaṇaś ca mayā dṛṣṭaḥ kṣitau tailasamukṣitaḥ |

raktavāsāḥ piban mattaḥ karavīrakṛtasrajaḥ ||5.27.22||

Translation

„Ich sah Rāvaṇa am Boden liegen, mit Öl bestrichen—in Rot gekleidet, mit einem Kranz aus Karavīra-Blüten, trunken vom Trank.“

Word by Word

• rāvaṇaḥ: Ravana
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• dṛṣṭaḥ: was seen
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object; in passive construction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘दृष्टः’ = ‘was seen’

• kṣitau: on the ground
• kṣitau: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• taila-samukṣitaḥ: smeared with oil
• taila-samukṣitaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of rāvaṇaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: taila (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-ukṣita (उक्ष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘तैलेन समुक्षितः’ (smeared/sprinkled with oil); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rakta-vāsāḥ: clad in red garments
• rakta-vāsāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of rāvaṇaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘रक्तं वासः यस्य’/‘रक्तवस्त्रधारी’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ending -āḥ as in vāsāḥ)

• piban: drinking
• piban: Karta (कर्ता; participial action of rāvaṇaḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mattaḥ: intoxicated
• mattaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of rāvaṇaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• karavīra-kṛta-srajaḥ: wearing a garland made of karavīra flowers
• karavīra-kṛta-srajaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of rāvaṇaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karavīra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त) + sraj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘करवीरेण कृता स्रक् यस्य’ (having a garland made of karavīra flowers); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

"Tonight I saw (in another dream) Ravana with shaven head, clad in black clothes, fallen down on the ground from the Pushpaka chariot, being dragged by a woman.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• karavīra (flower/garland)

FAQs

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

Adharma culminates in degradation: intoxication and ritual-like anointing imagery portray moral downfall. The Ramayana’s dharma framework implies that unrighteous power decays from within.

What is the narrative situation?

Trijaṭā recounts a dream in which Rāvaṇa appears dishonored and debased—an omen of impending defeat.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Trijaṭā’s truthfulness and moral discernment: she interprets signs to counsel restraint and to protect Sītā from further harm.