Shloka 29

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

नूनं लङ्का हते पापे रावणे राक्षसाधमे।शोषं यास्यति दुर्धर्षा प्रमदा विधवा यथा।।।।

Transliteration

nūnaṃ laṅkā hate pāpe rāvaṇe rākṣasādhame |

śoṣaṃ yāsyati durdharṣā pramadā vidhavā yathā ||

Translation

നിശ്ചയം, പാപിയായ രാവണൻ—രാക്ഷസന്മാരിൽ അധമൻ—വധിക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ, ഒരിക്കൽ അജേയമായിരുന്ന ഈ ലങ്ക വിധവയായ സ്ത്രീപോലെ ക്ഷയിച്ചുപോകും.

Word by Word

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; certainty adverb

• लङ्का: Lanka
• लङ्का: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• हते: when (he) is slain
• हते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative absolute with रावणे

• पापे: sinful
• पापे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण of रावणे

• रावणे: when Ravana (is slain)
• रावणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/locative absolute), एकवचन

• राक्षसाधमे: lowest of demons
• राक्षसाधमे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षस + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (राक्षसानाम् अधमः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; further qualifier of रावणे

• शोषम्: withering, drying up
• शोषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• यास्यति: will go to, will become
• यास्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्धर्षा: hard to assail
• दुर्धर्षा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्धर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; epithet of लङ्का

• प्रमदा: a woman
• प्रमदा: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; upamāna (standard of comparison)

• विधवा: widowed
• विधवा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifies प्रमदा

• यथा: like, as
• यथा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; comparative conjunction

Context

"Surely this impregnable Lanka will wither up (lose its splendour) and appear like a widow when this sinful Ravana, a mean demon is killed.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Unrighteous sovereignty collapses when its adharma-centered leader falls; a kingdom’s apparent strength cannot outlast moral corruption.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā predicts Laṅkā’s decline after Rāvaṇa’s death, using the poignant simile of widowhood to show the city’s loss of protector and glory.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment: Sītā names Rāvaṇa’s evil plainly and ties political fate to ethical conduct.