Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 28
Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra — Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya
Concise Bhāgavata Account
कृतैषा विधवा लङ्का वयं च कुलनन्दन । देह: कृतोऽन्नं गृध्राणामात्मा नरकहेतवे ॥ २८ ॥
kṛtaiṣā vidhavā laṅkā vayaṁ ca kula-nandana dehaḥ kṛto ’nnaṁ gṛdhrāṇām ātmā naraka-hetave
ಓ ಕುಲನಂದನ! ನೀನು ಲಂಕೆ ಮತ್ತು ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ವಿಧವೆಯರನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿರುವೆ. ನಿನ್ನ ದೇಹವು ರಣಹದ್ದುಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಹಾರವಾಗಿದೆ ಮತ್ತು ನಿನ್ನ ಆತ್ಮವು ನರಕಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಲು ಸಿದ್ಧವಾಗಿದೆ.
One who follows the path of Rāvaṇa is condemned in two ways: his body is fit to be eaten by dogs and vultures, and the soul goes to hell. As stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (16.19) :
FAQs
This verse portrays the aftermath of Rāvaṇa’s adharma: Laṅkā becomes “widowed,” and the speaker laments that the body becomes carrion and the soul becomes a cause for hell—highlighting the ruin that follows irreligion.
She uses poetic grief-language: with Rāvaṇa slain, the city has lost its protector and ruler, like a wife bereft of her husband—signifying political and moral collapse after his death.
It urges choosing dharma over ego-driven actions: wrongdoing may bring short-term power, but it ends in loss, dishonor, and suffering—so cultivate integrity, restraint, and devotion.