Shloka 12

पुष्पकविमानेन सीताया युद्धभूमिदर्शनम्

Sita Shown the Battlefield in the Pushpaka

Devanagari script

ततःपुष्पकमादायराक्षस्योरावणाज्ञया ।।।।अशोकवनिकास्थांतांमैथिलींसमुपानयन् ।

Transliteration

tataḥ puṣpakam ādāya rākṣasyo rāvaṇājñayā | aśokavanikāsthāṃ tāṃ maithilīṃ samupānayan ||

Translation

Alors, sur l’ordre de Rāvaṇa, les rākṣasī prirent le Puṣpaka et s’approchèrent de Maithilī, qui demeurait dans le bosquet d’Aśoka.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• पुष्पकम्: Pushpaka (aerial car)
• पुष्पकम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-दा (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (Gerund), 'having taken'

• राक्षस्यः: the demonesses
• राक्षस्यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• रावणाज्ञया: by Ravana's command
• रावणाज्ञया: करण (Karana/Instrument; by order)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण-आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रावणस्य आज्ञा); तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• अशोकवनिकास्थाम्: staying in the Ashoka grove
• अशोकवनिकास्थाम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशोक-वनिका-स्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अशोकवनिकायाम् स्था = situated in Ashoka-grove); द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); विशेषणम् to 'मैथिलीम्/ताम्'

• ताम्: her/that (woman)
• ताम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• मैथिलीम्: Maithili (Sita)
• मैथिलीम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथिली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); ताम् इति विशेष्य (apposition)

• समुपानयन्: brought near/led
• समुपानयन्: क्रिया (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-नी (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद; 'they brought/led near'

Context

Thereafter, by Ravana's order the Rakshasas went with the aerial car to Mythili in the Ashoka Garden.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā (Maithilī)
• Aśokavanikā (Aśoka grove)
• Puṣpaka (vimāna)
• rākṣasī women

FAQs

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

The verse situates Sītā’s captivity—an adharma act—against which dharma later restores justice; it also shows how power misuses command to sustain wrongdoing.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa’s attendants go to the Aśoka grove to fetch Sītā using the Puṣpaka chariot.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s endurance (kṣānti) is implicit: she remains steadfast in confinement while others maneuver around her.