Shloka 3.49.6

सीताहरणम् — Ravana reveals his true form and abducts Sita

Devanagari script

सद्यस्सौम्यं परित्यज्य भिक्षुरूपं स रावणः।स्वं रूपं कालरूपाभं भेजे वैश्रवणानुजः।।3.49.6।।

Transliteration

sadyaḥ saumyaṃ parityajya bhikṣurūpaṃ sa rāvaṇaḥ |

svaṃ rūpaṃ kālarūpābhaṃ bheje vaiśravaṇānujaḥ || 3.49.6 ||

Translation

At once Rāvaṇa—Kubera’s younger brother—cast off the gentle guise of a mendicant and assumed his own form, terrifying like Death itself.

Context

Ravana, brother of Kubera, shed the gentle figure of a mendicant and assumed the form of the god of death.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Kubera (Vaiśravaṇa)
• Kāla (Death)

FAQs

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

It condemns deception used for harm: disguising oneself to violate another is adharma; dharma requires honesty, restraint, and respect for others’ boundaries.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa drops his mendicant disguise and reveals a fearsome, death-like form during the abduction episode.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negatively, Rāvaṇa’s duplicity; the epic contrasts this with dharmic transparency and self-mastery.