Shloka 6

सीताहरणम्

Ravana reveals his true form and abducts Sita

Devanagari script

सद्यस्सौम्यं परित्यज्य भिक्षुरूपं स रावणः।स्वं रूपं कालरूपाभं भेजे वैश्रवणानुजः।।3.49.6।।

Transliteration

sadyaḥ saumyaṃ parityajya bhikṣurūpaṃ sa rāvaṇaḥ |

svaṃ rūpaṃ kālarūpābhaṃ bheje vaiśravaṇānujaḥ || 3.49.6 ||

Translation

ഉടൻതന്നെ വൈശ്രവണാനുജനായ രാവണൻ ഭിക്ഷുവിന്റെ സൗമ്യവേഷം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, കാലനെപ്പോലെ ഭയങ്കരമായ തന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ രൂപം ധരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (time adverb)

• सौम्यम्: gentle (guise)
• सौम्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया/Gerund)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• भिक्षुरूपम्: mendicant-form
• भिक्षुरूपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षु + रूप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('mendicant's form')

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रावणः: Ravana
• रावणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of रूपम्)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कालरूपाभम्: death-like in appearance
• कालरूपाभम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + रूप + आभ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ('resembling the form of Death/Time')

• भेजे: assumed/took
• भेजे: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वैश्रवणानुजः: younger brother of Kubera
• वैश्रवणानुजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्रवण + अनुज (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('younger brother of Vaiśravaṇa/Kubera')

Context

Ravana, brother of Kubera, shed the gentle figure of a mendicant and assumed the form of the god of death.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Kubera (Vaiśravaṇa)
• Kāla (Death)

FAQs

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

It condemns deception used for harm: disguising oneself to violate another is adharma; dharma requires honesty, restraint, and respect for others’ boundaries.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa drops his mendicant disguise and reveals a fearsome, death-like form during the abduction episode.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negatively, Rāvaṇa’s duplicity; the epic contrasts this with dharmic transparency and self-mastery.