Shloka 9
रावणस्यात्मप्रशंसा लङ्कावर्णनं च
Ravana’s Self-Praise and the Description of Lanka
निष्कम्पपत्रास्तरवो नद्यश्च स्तिमितोदकाः।भवन्ति यत्र यत्राहं तिष्ठामि विचरामि च।।।।
niṣkampapatrās taravo nadyaś ca stimitodakāḥ | bhavanti yatra yatrāhaṃ tiṣṭhāmi vicarāmi ca ||
ഞാൻ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നിടത്തും ഞാൻ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നിടത്തും, വൃക്ഷങ്ങളുടെ ഇലകൾ കുലുങ്ങാതെ നിശ്ചലമാകും; നദികളുടെ ജലവും ശാന്തമായി നിലയ്ക്കും.
Wherever I stay or move about, the leaves of trees do not shake, and the waters in rivers remain still.
FAQs
Dharma rejects coercion and fear-based authority. The verse depicts the unethical use of terror as ‘power,’ which is contrary to righteous kingship and self-restraint.
Continuing his intimidation, Rāvaṇa claims that even the natural world becomes motionless in his presence, to pressure Sītā into submission.
It emphasizes (by contrast) the need for inner steadiness: Sītā’s moral courage stands against Rāvaṇa’s attempt to rule through fear.