Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 23, Shloka 8

राक्षसी-भर्त्सना

The Demonesses’ Coercive Counsel to Sītā

Devanagari script

तस्य पुत्रो विशालाक्षि रावणः शत्रुरावणः।तस्य त्वं राक्षसेन्द्रस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हसि।।।।मयोक्तं चारुसर्वाङ्गिः वाक्यं किं नानुमन्यसे।

Transliteration

tasya putro viśālākṣi rāvaṇaḥ śatrurāvaṇaḥ |

tasya tvaṃ rākṣasendrasya bhāryā bhavitum arhasi ||

mayoktaṃ cāru-sarvāṅgiḥ vākyaṃ kiṃ nānumanyase |

Translation

Ô dame aux grands yeux, son fils est Rāvaṇa, dompteur des ennemis. Tu es digne de devenir l’épouse de ce seigneur des rākṣasas. Ô toi aux membres gracieux, pourquoi n’agrées-tu pas à mes paroles ?

Word by Word

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (identification)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• viśālākṣi: O large-eyed one
• viśālākṣi: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: विशालाक्षी = she whose eyes are large

• rāvaṇaḥ: Ravana
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to putraḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śatru-rāvaṇaḥ: tormentor of enemies
• śatru-rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक) + rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: tormentor of enemies

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rākṣasa-indrasya: of the lord of demons
• rākṣasa-indrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: lord of demons

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Pradhāna-nāma (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• bhavitum: to become
• bhavitum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन) / Kriyārtha (क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु) + tumun (तुमुन् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), अर्थ: to become

• arhasi: you deserve
• arhasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: you deserve/ought

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता) (agent of uktam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• uktam: spoken
• uktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of vākyaṃ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (vākyaṃ mayā uktam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• cāru-sarvāṅgiḥ: O beautiful-limbed one
• cāru-sarvāṅgiḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāru (प्रातिपदिक) + sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: चारुसर्वाङ्गी = she whose limbs are beautiful

• vākyam: statement
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म) of anumanyase
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kim: why?
• kim: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्न-निपात (interrogative particle), अव्यय-प्रयोग

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• anumanyase: do you accept
• anumanyase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu√man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अर्थ: you approve/consent/accept

Context

'O large-eyes lady! to become the wife of the lord of demons is a stroke of good luck. You deserve to be one. O lady of beautiful limbs! why don't you accept his proposal?'

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Viśravas
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma insists that marriage and union must be righteous and freely chosen; the verse portrays adharma by urging Sītā to accept a wrongful relationship based on power and flattery.

What is the narrative situation?

Ekajaṭā culminates her genealogical praise by directly pressing Sītā to become Rāvaṇa’s wife.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s chastity and fidelity (pativratā-dharma) are the central virtues challenged by this proposal.