Shloka 6.96.1

युद्धाय रावणस्य निर्याणं तथा उत्पातदर्शनम् (Ravana’s Mobilization for War and the ظهور of Fatal Portents)

Devanagari script

आर्तानांराक्षसीनांतुलङ्कायांवैकुलेकुले ।रावणःकरुणंशब्दंशुश्रावपरिदेवितम् ।।6.96.1।।

Transliteration

ārtānāṃ rākṣasīnām tu laṅkāyāṃ vai kule kule | rāvaṇaḥ karuṇaṃ śabdaṃ śuśrāva paridevitam ||6.96.1||

Translation

In Laṅkā, from house to house and clan to clan, Rāvaṇa heard the afflicted rākṣasī women raising piteous cries of lamentation.

Context

Ravana heard from every house in Lanka sounds of piteous cries and pathetic sounds of the afflicted.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Laṅkā
• rākṣasī (women of Laṅkā)

FAQs

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

Adharma brings collective suffering: wrongful leadership and violence do not remain private faults but ripple through society, here seen as grief spreading through every household.

What is the narrative situation?

After heavy losses in the war, Laṅkā is filled with mourning; Rāvaṇa hears widespread lamentation from the rākṣasī women.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse highlights not a virtue of Rāvaṇa but a moral contrast: the absence of righteous governance (dharma) results in public distress, underscoring the Ramayana’s ideal of compassionate, responsible rule.