Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रत्याजहार तां राम: सुग्रीवबलमाश्रित: । बद्ध्वा सेतुं समुद्रस्य दग्ध्वा लड़कां शितै: शरै:,फिर श्रीरामचन्द्रजी भी सुग्रीवकी सेनाका सहारा ले समुद्रपर पुल बाँधकर लंकामें गये और अपने तीखे (आग्नेय आदि) बाणोंसे उसको भस्म करके वहाँसे सीताको वापस लाये

Transliteration

pratyājahāra tāṁ rāmaḥ sugrīvabalam āśritaḥ | baddhvā setuṁ samudrasya dagdhvā laṅkāṁ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: Rāma, relying on the strength of Sugrīva’s forces, recovered her—having built a bridge across the ocean, entered Laṅkā, and burned it down with his keen arrows. Thus, after overcoming the stronghold of wrongdoing through disciplined effort and righteous force, he brought Sītā back from there.

Word by Word

प्रत्याजहारbrought back / returned

ताम्her

रामःRama

सुग्रीवबलम्Sugriva's army/force

आश्रितःhaving taken refuge in / relying on

बद्ध्वाhaving built/bound

सेतुम्a bridge/causeway

समुद्रस्यof the ocean

दग्ध्वाhaving burned

लङ्काम्Lanka

शितैःwith sharp

शरैःarrows

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Rāma

Sugrīva

Sītā

Samudra (the ocean)

Setu (bridge/causeway)

Laṅkā

Śara (arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined action supported by righteous alliances: even a great hero relies on worthy companions, and force is ethically framed as a means to remove adharma and protect the innocent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya briefly recounts Rāma’s campaign: with Sugrīva’s Vānara forces he builds a bridge over the ocean, reaches Laṅkā, destroys it with sharp arrows, and brings Sītā back.