Shloka 59
रावणस्य अन्त्येष्टिः
Ravana’s Funeral Rites and the Ethics of Post-War Conduct
प्रपन्नोदीर्घमध्वानंराजन्नद्यसुदुर्गमम् ।।।।नयमामपिदुःखार्तां न वर्तिष्येत्वयाविना ।
prapanno dīrgham adhvānaṃ rājann adya sudurgamam | naya mām api duḥkhārtāṃ na vartiṣye tvayā vinā ||
Wahai Raja, pada hari ini tuanku telah berangkat menempuh perjalanan yang panjang, amat sukar dilalui. Bawalah hamba juga, meski hamba dirundung dukacita—kerana hamba tidak dapat hidup tanpa tuanku.
"O king! Today, take me on your journey which is very difficult. Stricken with sorrow I cannot live without you."
FAQs
It reflects the ideal of spousal devotion in traditional epic ethics, while also showing the human cost when a king’s adharma ends in death.
Mandodarī interprets Rāvaṇa’s death as a departure on a ‘journey’ and expresses the wish to accompany him.
Single-minded devotion (pati-niṣṭhā): she declares she cannot continue life without her husband.