Shloka 11

सीता-रावण-संवादः

Sītā–Rāvaṇa Dialogue in the Aśoka Grove

Devanagari script

ततः स राजा सिन्धूनां वार्द्ध॑क्षत्रिर्जयद्रथ: । विस्मितस्त्वनवद्याड़ीं दृष्टवा तां दुष्टमानस:,निर्दोष अंगोंवाली उस सुन्दरीको देखकर वृद्धक्षत्र-कुमार सिन्धुराज जयद्रथ चकित रह गया। उसके मनमें दूषित भावनाका उदय हुआ

Transliteration

tataḥ sa rājā sindhūnāṃ vṛddhakṣatrir jayadrathaḥ | vismitas tv anavadyāṅgīṃ dṛṣṭvā tāṃ duṣṭamānasaḥ ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സിന്ധുക്കളുടെ രാജാവായ, വൃദ്ധക്ഷത്രന്റെ പുത്രൻ ജയദ്രഥൻ, ആ അനവദ്യാംഗിയെ കണ്ടു വിസ്മയിച്ചു; എന്നാൽ അവന്റെ മനസ്സ് മലിനമായി, അവനിൽ നീചമായ കാമാഭിലാഷം ഉദിച്ചു।

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereupon

सःhe

राजाking

सिन्धूनाम्of the Sindhus (people/region)

वृद्धक्षत्रिःVṛddhakṣatri (proper name/epithet)

जयद्रथःJayadratha

विस्मितःastonished

तुbut/indeed

अनवद्याङ्गीम्a woman with faultless limbs (blameless-bodied)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

ताम्her/that (woman)

दुष्टमानसःone whose mind is wicked/corrupt

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Jayadratha

Sindhu (realm/people)

Vṛddhakṣatra

anavadyāṅgī (the blameless-limbed lady)

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 contrasts outer beauty with inner discipline: a ruler may be impressed by virtue and beauty, yet if the mind becomes duṣṭa (corrupted), desire turns into adharma. It warns that ethical failure begins as a mental distortion, especially dangerous in those with power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaishampayana narrates that Jayadratha, king of Sindhu and descendant of Vṛddhakṣatra, sees a faultless-limbed woman and is amazed; however, his mind becomes tainted, foreshadowing his wrongful intentions and the ensuing conflict.