Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाच्छलेनापहता बलात्‌ | राक्षसेन्द्रेण बलिना रावणेन दुरात्मना,अनघ! दण्डकारण्यमें आकर वे जनस्थानमें रहा करते थे। एक दिन अत्यन्त बलवान्‌ दुरात्मा राक्षसराज रावण मायासे सुवर्ण-रत्नमय विचित्र मृगका रूप धारण करनेवाले मारीच नामक राक्षसके द्वारा नरश्रेष्ठ श्रीरामको धोखेमें डालकर उनकी पत्नी सीताको छल- बलपूर्वक हर ले गया

Transliteration

tasya bhāryā janasthānāc chalena apahatā balāt | rākṣasendreṇa balinā rāvaṇena durātmanā, anagha |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: From Janasthāna, his wife was deceitfully abducted by force—carried off by the powerful lord of the Rākṣasas, Rāvaṇa, a wicked-souled one, O sinless listener. The passage shows how adharma works through māyā (deception) and coercion, violating the sanctity of marriage and the protection owed to the innocent.

Word by Word

तस्यof him

भार्याwife

जनस्थानात्from Janasthana

छलेनby deceit

अपहताabducted/taken away

बलात्by force

राक्षसेन्द्रेणby the lord of the Rakshasas

बलिनाby the mighty one

रावणेनby Ravana

दुरात्मनाby the wicked-souled one

अनघO sinless one!

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janastāna

Rāvaṇa

Rākṣasas

the wife (Sītā, implied in the narrative context)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights adharma as the use of deceit and brute force against the innocent—especially the unlawful seizure of another’s wife—marking such acts as ethically corrupt and socially destructive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the hero’s wife was abducted from Janasthāna through trickery and force by the powerful Rākṣasa-king Rāvaṇa, setting in motion the ensuing conflict and quest for restoration of justice.