Shloka 5.10.38

रावणान्तःपुरे शयनदर्शनम् (Hanumān Observes Rāvaṇa’s Inner Apartments and Sleeping Court)

Devanagari script

अन्या कक्षगतेनैव मड्डुकेनासितेक्षणा।प्रसुप्ता भामिनी भाति बालपुत्रेव वत्सला।।।।

Transliteration

anyā kakṣagatenaiva maḍḍukena asitekṣaṇā |

prasuptā bhāminī bhāti bālaputreva vatsalā ||

Translation

Another dark-eyed woman slept with a maḍḍuka-drum tucked in her armpit, shining like an affectionate mother holding her little child.

Context

A woman with dark eyes asleep with a drum placed in her arm-pit looked like a beautiful mother holding her loving baby (the drum was hung to her arm with a rope).

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān (implied observer)
• maḍḍuka (drum)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is conveyed through the observer’s ethical gaze: even amid sensual or worldly settings, the righteous agent (Hanumān) maintains respectful distance and mental purity.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān, moving through Rāvaṇa’s inner apartments in Laṅkā, notices sleeping women with musical instruments; one holds a drum like a mother cradling a child.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Mission-centered vigilance (apramāda) and moral restraint (saṃyama) in Hanumān’s conduct.