Shloka 6

सीताहरण

विलापः / The Lament at Jatāyu and the Abduction of Sītā

Devanagari script

तां क्लिष्टमाल्याभरणां विलपन्तीमनाथवत्।अभ्यधावत् वैदेहीं रावणो राक्षसाधिपः।।।।

Transliteration

tāṃ kliṣṭamālyābharaṇāṃ vilapantīm anāthavat |

abhyadhāvat vaidēhīṃ rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ ||

Translation

Равана, владыка ракшасов, бросился к Вайдэхи, что рыдала, как лишённая защиты; её гирлянды были смяты, а украшения — в беспорядке.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• क्लिष्ट-माल्य-आभरणाम्: with crushed garlands and ornaments
• क्लिष्ट-माल्य-आभरणाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kliṣṭa + mālya + ābharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘she whose garlands and ornaments are dishevelled/crushed’; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifies ‘ताम्’

• विलपन्तीम्: lamenting/weeping
• विलपन्तीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lap (धातु) + vilapant (कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifies ‘ताम्’

• अनाथवत्: like an orphan
• अनाथवत्: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anātha + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: Avyayībhāva-like adverbial usage; indeclinable in -वत् meaning ‘like’; comparison adverb

• अभ्यधावत्: ran towards
• अभ्यधावत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√dhāv (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वैदेहीम्: Vaidehī (Sītā)
• वैदेहीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidehī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• राक्षस-अधिपः: the demon-king
• राक्षस-अधिपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘lord of demons’; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

Context

'This bird that came forward to save me is hit by the sinner(Ravana) and lies down on the ground, as ill luck would have it.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Rākṣasas (as a class, via rākṣasādhipa)

FAQs

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

By depicting Sītā as ‘anātha-vat’ (as if unprotected), the verse condemns the exploitation of vulnerability—an ethical inversion of dharma, which requires protecting the helpless.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa moves in to seize Sītā; her distress is visible in her disordered garlands and ornaments.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, Sītā’s dignity under assault; explicitly, the verse foregrounds Rāvaṇa’s unethical aggression as a negative exemplar.