Shloka 16

रावणस्यात्मप्रशंसा लङ्कावर्णनं च

Ravana’s Self-Praise and the Description of Lanka

Devanagari script

तेन किं भ्रष्टराज्येन रामेण गतचेतसा।करिष्यसि विशालाक्षि तापसेन तपस्विना।।।।

Transliteration

tena kiṃ bhraṣṭarājyena rāmeṇa gatacetasā | kariṣyasi viśālākṣi tāpasena tapasvinā ||

Translation

ഹേ വിശാലാക്ഷീ! രാജ്യം നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടും ചിത്തം അസ്ഥിരമായും, തപസ്സിൽ ജീവിക്കുന്ന താപസനായ രാമനാൽ നീ എന്തു നേടും?

Word by Word

• तेन: by/with that (one)
• तेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; pronoun ‘that’ in Instrumental singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; interrogative ‘what’

• भ्रष्ट-राज्येन: with (one) deprived of kingdom
• भ्रष्ट-राज्येन: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √भ्रंश्) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (भ्रष्टं राज्यं यस्य/भ्रष्टं राज्यं इति); नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; ‘with (one) whose kingdom is lost’

• रामेण: by/with Rama
• रामेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; Instrumental singular

• गत-चेतसा: with (one) of lost sense/mind
• गत-चेतसा: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √गम्) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (गता चेतना/चेतस् यस्य); पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; ‘with one whose mind is gone’

• करिष्यसि: will you do
• करिष्यसि: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Future), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; parasmaipada

• विशाल-अक्षि: O large-eyed (lady)
• विशाल-अक्षि: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (विशाले अक्षिणी यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्; vocative

• तापसेन: by/with an ascetic
• तापसेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; Instrumental singular

• तपस्विना: by/with a penitent
• तपस्विना: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; Instrumental singular

Context

O largeeyed Sita dislodged from the kingdom, Rama has lost his capacity to think. He is doing penance, assuming an ascetic role. What can he do (for you)?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Dharma rejects contempt for renunciation; Rāvaṇa frames ascetic life as weakness, but the epic repeatedly treats self-control and duty as higher strengths than mere power.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa tries to break Sītā’s reliance on Rāma by portraying him as powerless due to exile and ascetic practice.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s tapas-linked self-mastery (and Sītā’s loyalty to that dharmic ideal) is implicitly contrasted with Rāvaṇa’s power-centered worldview.