Shloka 38

रावणान्तःपुरे शयनदर्शनम्

Hanumān Observes Rāvaṇa’s Inner Apartments and Sleeping Court

Devanagari script

अन्या कक्षगतेनैव मड्डुकेनासितेक्षणा।प्रसुप्ता भामिनी भाति बालपुत्रेव वत्सला।।।।

Transliteration

anyā kakṣagatenaiva maḍḍukena asitekṣaṇā |

prasuptā bhāminī bhāti bālaputreva vatsalā ||

Translation

മറ്റൊരു കറുത്ത കണ്ണുകളുള്ള ഭാമിനി കക്ഷത്തിൽ ഒതുക്കിയ മഡ്ഡുക-മൃദംഗവുമായി ഉറങ്ങിക്കിടന്നു; സ്നേഹവതിയായ അമ്മ തന്റെ ചെറുപുത്രനെ ചേർത്തുപിടിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ അവൾ ദീപ്തയായി തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• anyā: another (woman)
• anyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'another (woman)'

• kakṣagatena: placed in the armpit
• kakṣagatena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kakṣā-gata (प्रातिपदिक); kakṣā (कक्षा) + gata (√gam+kta)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (तृतीया/3rd), Ekavacana; instrumental qualifying maḍḍukena; samāsa: tatpuruṣa (कक्षायां गतः)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (निपात), emphasis particle

• maḍḍukena: with a maḍḍuka-drum
• maḍḍukena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maḍḍuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• asitekṣaṇā: dark-eyed
• asitekṣaṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asita-īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: 'asita' (dark) + 'īkṣaṇā' (eyed)

• prasuptā: asleep
• prasuptā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√svap + kta (धातु-कृदन्त)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• bhāminī: a lovely/impassioned woman
• bhāminī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• bhāti: shines/appears
• bhāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• bālaputrā: (like) a mother with a baby
• bālaputrā: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla-putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: 'bālasya putraḥ' → 'bālaputra' (baby/child) used as 'a mother of a baby' by context

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya

• vatsalā: affectionate
• vatsalā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Context

A woman with dark eyes asleep with a drum placed in her arm-pit looked like a beautiful mother holding her loving baby (the drum was hung to her arm with a rope).

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān (implied observer)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is conveyed through the observer’s ethical gaze: even amid sensual or worldly settings, the righteous agent (Hanumān) maintains respectful distance and mental purity.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān, moving through Rāvaṇa’s inner apartments in Laṅkā, notices sleeping women with musical instruments; one holds a drum like a mother cradling a child.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Mission-centered vigilance (apramāda) and moral restraint (saṃyama) in Hanumān’s conduct.