Shloka 9

रावणस्य सीताप्रलोभनम्

Ravana’s Attempt to Allure Sita

Devanagari script

सोपानं काञ्चनं चित्रमारुरोह तया सह।।3.55.9।।दान्तका राजताश्चैव गवाक्षाः प्रियदर्शनाः।हेमजालावताश्चासन्स्तत्र प्रासादपङ्क्तयः।।3.55.10।।

Transliteration

sopānaṃ kāñcanaṃ citram āruroha tayā saha || 3.55.9 ||

Translation

അവളോടൊപ്പം അവൻ വിചിത്രമായി അലങ്കരിച്ച സ്വർണ്ണസോപാനം കയറി।

Word by Word

• sopānam: staircase
• sopānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sopāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Napuṃsaka (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग)

• kāñcanam: golden
• kāñcanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Napuṃsaka (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग); viśeṣaṇa to sopānam

• citram: wonderful/ornate
• citram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Napuṃsaka (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग); viśeṣaṇa to sopānam

• āruroha: (he) climbed
• āruroha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-ruh (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (Perfect-like narrative past; actually Liṭ-form used as past in epic) (लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); Parasmaipada

• tayā: with her
• tayā: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग); sarvanāma

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Sahārtha-avyaya (postposition 'with'/सहार्थ) governing instrumental

Context

He ascended the wonderful golden staircase taking Sita along with him.Beautiful looked the rows of mansions with silver and ivory windows and golden trellis.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Dharma rejects using power and display to dominate another’s will; the movement “with her” occurs in the shadow of force established in the preceding verses.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa leads (and effectively compels) Sītā into the palace interior, ascending a golden stairway.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s endurance: she continues through humiliation and fearsome surroundings without surrendering her moral stance.