Shloka 13

सीताहरणोत्तरं लङ्काप्रवेशः

Sita’s Abduction and Ravana’s Entry into Lanka

Devanagari script

तत्र तामसितापाङ्गां शोकमोहपरायणाम्।।।।निदधे रावणस्सीतां मयो मायामिवस्त्रियम्।

Transliteration

tatra tām asitāpāṅgāṃ śoka-moha-parāyaṇām |

nidadhe rāvaṇaḥ sītāṃ mayo māyām iva striyam ||

Translation

तत्र रावणः शोकमोहपरायणां तमसितापाङ्गां सीतां न्यधात्—यथा दैत्यो मयः मायामिव मायामयीं स्त्रियम्।

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (देश-अव्यय), adverb of place

• tām: that (her)
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun referring to Sītā

• asita-apāṅgām: dark-eyed
• asita-apāṅgām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asita + apāṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः: 'dark-cornered-eyes' (dark eyelashes/eye-corners) qualifying sītām

• śoka-moha-parāyaṇām: overcome by grief and delusion
• śoka-moha-parāyaṇām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka + moha + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः: 'devoted/absorbed in sorrow and delusion'

• nidadhe: placed/kept
• nidadhe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• rāvaṇaḥ: Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• sītām: Sītā
• sītām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• mayaḥ: Maya (the demon)
• mayaḥ: Upamā-karta (उपमा-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; subject of implied comparison

• māyām: Māyā (his consort)/illusion
• māyām: Upameya (उपमेय; object of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (उपमा-अव्यय), comparative particle

• striyam: a woman
• striyam: Karma (कर्म; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; apposition to sītām

Context

Sita, with her dark eye lashes and lost in utter sorrow was kept in the harem by Ravana, like demon Maya kept Mayamayi.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā
• Maya (asura)

FAQs

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

Treating a person as property is adharma; the simile with Māyā underscores how desire and domination are allied with delusion, not truth (satya).

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa confines Sītā within the inner quarters of his palace after bringing her to Laṅkā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s moral purity stands in contrast to the atmosphere of māyā (delusion); her sorrow is human, yet her dharmic steadfastness is implied by her refusal to consent.