Shloka 3.52.4

सीताहरण-विलापः / The Lament at Jatāyu and the Abduction of Sītā

Devanagari script

अयं हि पापचारेण मां त्रातुमभिसङ्गतः।शेते विनिहतो भूमौ ममाभाग्याद्विहंगमः।।।।

Transliteration

tāṃ kliṣṭamālyābharaṇāṃ vilapantīm anāthavat |

abhyadhāvat vaidēhīṃ rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ ||

Translation

Rāvaṇa, lord of the rākṣasas, rushed toward Vaidehī as she wept like one without any protector, her garlands crushed and her ornaments disordered.

Context

'This bird that came forward to save me is hit by the sinner(Ravana) and lies down on the ground, as ill luck would have it.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Rākṣasas (as a class, via rākṣasādhipa)

FAQs

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

By depicting Sītā as ‘anātha-vat’ (as if unprotected), the verse condemns the exploitation of vulnerability—an ethical inversion of dharma, which requires protecting the helpless.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa moves in to seize Sītā; her distress is visible in her disordered garlands and ornaments.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, Sītā’s dignity under assault; explicitly, the verse foregrounds Rāvaṇa’s unethical aggression as a negative exemplar.