Shloka 3.49.19

सीताहरणम् — Ravana reveals his true form and abducts Sita

Devanagari script

स च मायामयो दिव्यः खरयुक्तः खरस्वनः।।3.49.19।।प्रत्यदृश्यत हेमाङ्गो रावणस्य महारथः।

Transliteration

sa ca māyāmayo divyaḥ kharayuktaḥ kharasvanaḥ | pratyadṛśyata hemāṅgo rāvaṇasya mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

Then there appeared Rāvaṇa’s great chariot—golden-limbed, wondrous and wrought of illusion—yoked to donkeys and resounding with their braying.

Context

There arrived the great golden chariot of Ravana, illusive and wonderful, harnessed with donkeys and braying like donkeys.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• mahāratha (Rāvaṇa’s chariot)

FAQs

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

The verse contrasts outward splendor and inner unrighteousness: māyā (deceptive power) can mask adharma, warning that appearances are not reliable measures of virtue.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa’s extraordinary chariot manifests, enabling the abduction to proceed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment (viveka) is implied as a virtue—recognizing that dazzling power may be ethically hollow.