Shloka 12

रावणस्य सीताप्रलोभनम्

Ravana’s Attempt to Allure Sita

Devanagari script

दीर्घिकाः पुष्करिण्यश्च नानावृक्षसमन्विताः।रावणो दर्शयामास सीतां शोकपरायणाम्।।3.55.12।।

Transliteration

dīrghikāḥ puṣkariṇyaś ca nānāvṛkṣasamanvitāḥ |

rāvaṇo darśayāmāsa sītāṃ śokaparāyaṇām ||3.55.12||

Translation

നാനാവൃക്ഷങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട ദീർഘികകളും പുഷ്കരിണികളും, ശോകത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിയ സീതാദേവിക്ക് രാവണൻ കാണിച്ചു കൊടുത്തു.

Word by Word

• dīrghikāḥ: stepwells/long tanks
• dīrghikāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīrghikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग)

• puṣkariṇyaḥ: lotus-ponds
• puṣkariṇyaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkariṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samucchaya (conjunction/समुच्चय)

• nānā-vṛkṣa-samanvitāḥ: filled with various trees
• nānā-vṛkṣa-samanvitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग); viśeṣaṇa to dīrghikāḥ/puṣkariṇyaḥ; samāsa: nānāvidhaiḥ vṛkṣaiḥ samanvitāḥ = 'endowed with various trees'

• rāvaṇaḥ: Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग)

• darśayāmāsa: showed
• darśayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect/लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); Parasmaipada; causative periphrastic perfect = 'caused to see/showed'

• sītām: Sītā
• sītām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग)

• śoka-parāyaṇām: absorbed in sorrow
• śoka-parāyaṇām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितīyā), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग); viśeṣaṇa to sītām; samāsa: śoke parāyaṇā = 'wholly devoted/absorbed in sorrow'

Context

Ravana showed Sita who was overwhelmed with sorrow, step-wells surrrounded by various trees and tanks.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā
• Laṅkā (implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma recognizes inner suffering as morally significant; ignoring another’s distress and continuing coercive display reflects a failure of compassion (dayā).

What is the narrative situation?

Even as Sītā remains sorrow-stricken after abduction, Rāvaṇa continues to parade before her the pleasures of Laṅkā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s constancy is emphasized through her unrelieved grief, indicating unwavering loyalty rather than attraction to comfort.