Shloka 2

Dyumatsena’s Restoration and Sāvitrī’s Disclosure of Yama’s Boons (आरण्यकपर्व, अध्याय २८२)

Devanagari script

राक्षसीभिरुपास्यन्तीं समासीनां शिलातले । रावण: कामबाणार्तों ददर्शोपससर्प च,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर!| तदनन्तर एक दिन जब पतिव्रता सीता स्वामीके वियोगके दुःखसे पीड़ित हो मैले कपड़े पहने केवल चूड़ामणिमात्र आभूषण धारण किये राक्षसियोंसे घिरी हुई एक शिलापर बैठी दीनभावसे रो रही थीं, उसी समय देवता, दानव, गन्धर्व, यक्ष और किम्पुरुष किसीसे कभी युद्धमें परास्त न होनेवाला रावण कामबाणसे पीड़ित हो अशोकवाटिकामें गया। वहाँ उसने सीताको देखा और कामवेदनासे व्यथित होकर वह उनके समीप चला गया

Transliteration

rākṣasībhir upāsyantīṃ samāsīnāṃ śilātale | rāvaṇaḥ kāmabāṇārto dadarśopasasarpa ca ||

Translation

Dikelilingi dan dijaga para rākṣasī, Sītā duduk di atas sebongkah batu. Rāvaṇa, yang tersiksa oleh panah-panah hasrat, melihatnya dan mendekat.

Word by Word

राक्षसीभिःby/with the demonesses

उपास्यन्तीम्being attended upon/served

समासीनाम्seated

शिलातलेon the surface of a rock

रावणःRavana

कामबाणार्तःafflicted by the arrows of desire

ददर्शsaw

उपससर्पapproached/crept near

चand

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Rāvaṇa

Sītā

rākṣasīs

śilātala (stone slab/rock surface)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical contrast between steadfastness in dharma (Sītā’s restrained endurance under suffering) and the moral danger of unchecked desire (Rāvaṇa ‘wounded by kāma’), implying that loss of self-control leads one to approach wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sītā is shown seated on a stone surface, surrounded by rākṣasī attendants/guards. Rāvaṇa, overcome by desire, notices her and moves toward her, initiating the next phase of his attempt to sway or coerce her.