Shloka 18

मारीचस्य रावणं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः

Maricha’s Counsel on Kingship and Ruin to Ravana

Devanagari script

दर्शनादेव रामस्य हतं मामवधारय।आत्मानं च हतं विद्धि हृत्वा सीतां सबान्धवम्।।।।

Transliteration

darśanād eva rāmasya hataṃ mām avadhāraya | ātmānaṃ ca hataṃ viddhi hṛtvā sītāṃ sabāndhavam ||

Translation

രാമന്റെ ദർശനം മാത്രത്താൽ തന്നെ ഞാൻ ഹതനായതായി കരുതുക; സീതയെ ബന്ധുക്കളോടുകൂടി അപഹരിച്ചാൽ നീയും നിന്റെ കുലബന്ധുക്കളോടുകൂടി വധിക്കപ്പെട്ടവനായി അറിയുക.

Word by Word

• darśanāt: from (mere) sight; by seeing
• darśanāt: Hetu (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• rāmasya: of Rama
• rāmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• hatam: killed; as good as dead
• hatam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies 'mām'

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• avadhāraya: consider; deem
• avadhāraya: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्/Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• ātmānam: yourself
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• hatam: killed
• hatam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies 'ātmānam'

• viddhi: know; understand
• viddhi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्/Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• hṛtvā: having abducted
• hṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), prior action

• sītām: Sita
• sītām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• sabāndhavam: together with (your) kinsmen
• sabāndhavam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह-अर्थ) + bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) 'sa-bāndhava' = 'with relatives'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies implied 'tvām/ātmānam' (you)

Context

If you bring Sita from the hermitage with my assistance, know that none of us will survive-you nor I, nor Lanka , nor the demons.

Characters & Entities

• Mārīca
• Rāvaṇa
• Rāma
• Sītā
• bāndhava (kinsmen)

FAQs

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

Violating dharma by abducting another’s wife invites inevitable destruction; adharma brings ruin not only to the doer but to the entire lineage.

What is the narrative situation?

Mārīca foretells his own death and Rāvaṇa’s downfall if the plan to seize Sītā is pursued.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral foresight—recognizing the inviolability of marital and social dharma.