Shloka 6.68.18

कुम्भकर्णवधश्रवणेन रावणविलापः (Ravana’s Lament on Hearing of Kumbhakarna’s Slaying)

Devanagari script

यद्यहंभ्रातृहन्तारं न हन्मियुधिराघवम् ।ननुमेमरणंश्रेयो न चेदंव्यर्थजीवितम् ।।।।

Transliteration

rājyena nāsti me kāryaṃ kiṃ kariṣyāmi sītayā |

kumbhakarṇavihīnasya jīvitena nāsti me matiḥ ||

Translation

Kingship is of no use to me—what would I do with Sītā? Bereft of Kumbhakarṇa, even my will to live has forsaken me.

Context

"If I do not kill Raghava who killed my brother in battle it is a waste of my life." Thus, thought Ravana.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā
• Kumbhakarṇa
• Rājya (kingdom)

FAQs

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

It reveals the hollowness of possessiveness: when relationships and power are pursued without Dharma, they collapse into despair rather than lasting fulfillment.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa’s grief turns into nihilism; he declares kingship and even Sītā meaningless after losing Kumbhakarṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

A negative lesson: lack of self-mastery—Rāvaṇa’s attachment and pride leave him psychologically unmoored when fortune turns.