Shloka 28

रावणस्य अन्त्येष्टिः

Ravana’s Funeral Rites and the Ethics of Post-War Conduct

Devanagari script

न कुलेन न रूपेण न दाक्षिण्येनमैथिली ।मयाधिकावातुल्यावातत्त्वंमोहान्नबुध्यसे ।।।।

Transliteration

na kulena na rūpeṇa na dākṣiṇyena maithilī | mayādhikā vā tulyā vā tat tvaṃ mohān na budhyase ||

Translation

マイティリーは、家柄においても、美しさにおいても、礼節においても、わたしに勝るのではない——いや、等しくさえない。それなのに、迷妄に覆われて、あなたはこれを悟らなかった。

Word by Word

sarvadāalways

sarva-bhūtānāmof all beings

nanot

astiis

mṛtyuḥdeath

alakṣaṇaḥwithout a cause/mark

tavafor you/of you

tāvatindeed/just

ayamthis

mṛtyuḥdeath

maithilī-kṛta-lakṣaṇaḥmarked/caused by (your act toward) Maithili

Context

"When time comes surely one who does sinful action will reap the result. There is no doubt that the doer of a terrible action will be destroyed."

Characters & Entities

Maithilī (Sītā)

Mandodarī

Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Moha (delusion) distorts judgment and leads to adharma; dharma requires clarity of mind and restraint rather than obsession.

What is the narrative situation?

Mandodarī highlights the irrationality of Rāvaṇa’s fixation on Sītā, implying that delusion—not need—drove the crime.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is विवेक (discernment); its absence in Rāvaṇa is presented as the immediate cause of ethical collapse.