Shloka 5.26.29

सीताविलापः — Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

नूनं लङ्का हते पापे रावणे राक्षसाधमे।शोषं यास्यति दुर्धर्षा प्रमदा विधवा यथा।।।।

Transliteration

nūnaṃ laṅkā hate pāpe rāvaṇe rākṣasādhame |

śoṣaṃ yāsyati durdharṣā pramadā vidhavā yathā ||

Translation

Surely, when that sinful Rāvaṇa—the vilest of rākṣasas—is slain, this once-impregnable Laṅkā will waste away, like a woman widowed.

Context

"Surely this impregnable Lanka will wither up (lose its splendour) and appear like a widow when this sinful Ravana, a mean demon is killed.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Unrighteous sovereignty collapses when its adharma-centered leader falls; a kingdom’s apparent strength cannot outlast moral corruption.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā predicts Laṅkā’s decline after Rāvaṇa’s death, using the poignant simile of widowhood to show the city’s loss of protector and glory.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment: Sītā names Rāvaṇa’s evil plainly and ties political fate to ethical conduct.