Shloka 9
सीताव्यथा
वर्णनम् / Sītā’s Distress and Rāvaṇa’s Attempt at Coercive Allurement
वेष्टमानां तथाऽविष्टां पन्नगेन्द्रवधूमिव।धूप्यमानां ग्रहेणेव रोहिणीं धूमकेतुना।।।।
veṣṭamānāṃ tathā''viṣṭāṃ pannagendravadhūm iva |
dhūpyamānāṃ graheṇeva rohiṇīṃ dhūmaketunā ||
அவள் அப்படியே அமர்ந்து, துயரால் இறுக்கமாகச் சுற்றப்பட்டு கலங்கியவளாய்—நாகராஜனின் அரசி தன்னுள் தானே சுருண்டதுபோல்; தீய கோளான துமகேது ரோகிணியைப் புகையால் மூடியதுபோல் தோன்றினாள்.
Sitting in that manner she resembled a coiled serpent queen, the star Rohini overshadowed by a smoking comet (that is Ravana).
FAQs
The verse highlights how adharma (coercion and unlawful possession) darkens and diminishes what is pure; Sītā’s steadfastness implies dharma as inner integrity even when externally oppressed.
Hanumān, hidden in Laṅkā, looks upon Sītā in Aśoka-vana and sees her overwhelmed by grief and confinement, expressed through ominous celestial similes.
Sītā’s satya and śīla (truthfulness and moral purity): though ‘overshadowed,’ she remains the same luminous person, not consenting inwardly to wrongdoing.