Shloka 281

Devanagari script

इधर शोकसे दुबली हुई सीता राक्षसियोंसे घिरकर त्रिजटासे सुसेवित हो अशोकवाटिकामें ही रहने लगीं ।। इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि रामोपाख्यानपर्वणि सीतारावणसंवादे एकाशीत्यधिकद्धिशततमो<5ध्याय:

Transliteration

idhar śokena dubalī bhūtā sītā rākṣasībhiḥ ghṛtā trijaṭayā su-sevitā aśokavāṭikāyām eva nivāsam akarot | iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi rāmopākhyānaparvaṇi sītārāvaṇasaṃvāde ekāśītyadhika-dviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ ||

Translation

Di sini Sītā, yang melemah karena duka, tetap tinggal di Taman Aśoka, dikepung para rākṣasī; namun ia dirawat dengan penuh perhatian oleh Trijaṭā.

Word by Word

इधरhere/at this place

शोकसेby/with grief

दुबलीthin, emaciated

हुईhaving become/being

सीताSita

राक्षसियोंसेby/with demonesses

घिरकरhaving been surrounded/being surrounded

त्रिजटासेby Trijata

सुसेवितwell-attended/served

होhaving been/being (auxiliary)

अशोकवाटिकामेंin the Ashoka-grove

हीindeed/only

रहनेto stay/to remain

लगींbegan (to)/came to (stay)

इतिthus

श्रीमहाभारतेin the Mahabharata

वनपर्वणिin the Vana-parvan

रामोपाख्यानपर्वणिin the Ramopakhyana section

सीतारावणसंवादेin the dialogue of Sita and Ravana

एकाशीत्यधिकeighty-one plus (i.e., 281st)

द्विशततमःtwo-hundredth (forming 281st with previous)

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sītā

Rākṣasīs

Trijaṭā

Aśokavāṭikā

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?

Even in oppressive circumstances, dharmic steadiness and inner restraint can be sustained; compassionate support—embodied by Trijaṭā—shows that moral goodness can appear even among adversaries.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes Sītā in Laṅkā: weakened by grief, she remains confined in the Aśoka grove, surrounded by rākṣasīs, while Trijaṭā attends to her with care.