Shloka 27

रावण–मारीचसंवादः तथा मृगप्रलोभनपूर्वकं सीताहरणोपक्रमः

Rāvaṇa–Mārīca Dialogue and the Decoy-Deer Prelude to Sītā’s Abduction

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ स्वर्गसुखं विप्र लोका नानाविधास्तथा । गुणा: स्वर्गस्य प्रोक्तास्ते दोषानपि निबोध मे,विप्रवर! यही स्वर्गका सुख है और ऐसे ही वहाँ भाँति-भाँतिके लोक हैं। यहाँतक मैंने तुम्हें स्वर्गके गुण बताये हैं; अब वहाँके दोष भी मुझसे सुन लो

Transliteration

etat svargasukhaṃ vipra lokā nānāvidhās tathā | guṇāḥ svargasya proktās te doṣān api nibodha me, vipravara ||

Translation

“O brāhmaṇa, this is the happiness of heaven, and such too are the many kinds of worlds found there. Thus far I have described to you the excellences of heaven; now, O best of brāhmaṇas, learn from me its faults as well.”

Word by Word

• {'etat': 'this

• this very (what has just been described)', 'svarga-sukham': 'the pleasure/happiness of heaven', 'vipra': 'a brāhmaṇa

• learned priestly man (vocative address)', 'lokāḥ': 'worlds

• spheres of existence', 'nānā-vidhāḥ': 'of many kinds

• various', 'tathā': 'and so

• in that manner', 'guṇāḥ': 'qualities

• excellences', 'svargasya': 'of heaven', 'proktāḥ': 'told

• explained', 'te': 'to you

• for you', 'doṣān': 'faults

• defects', 'api': 'also

• even', 'nibodha': 'understand

• take note (imperative)', 'me': 'from me

• my (speech)', 'vipra-vara': 'best among brāhmaṇas (honorific vocative)'}

Speaker

देवदूत उवाच

Characters & Entities

• देवदूत (divine messenger)
• विप्र (brāhmaṇa addressee)
• स्वर्ग (heaven)
• लोकाः (heavenly realms)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even heavenly enjoyment is not presented as an unqualified ideal: after praising svarga’s pleasures and varieties, the speaker insists on also examining its doṣas (drawbacks). The ethical thrust is discernment—understanding both the attractions and limitations of reward-based destinations, rather than being captivated by pleasure alone.

What is happening in the narrative?

A divine messenger addresses a brāhmaṇa and concludes a description of heaven’s सुख (pleasure), its many lokas (realms), and its guṇas (merits). He then transitions the discourse, announcing that he will now explain the दोष (faults) of heaven as well.