Shloka 20

रावणस्य परिव्राजकवेषेण सीतासमीपगमनम्

Ravana Approaches Sita Disguised as a Mendicant

Devanagari script

चारुस्मिते चारुदति चारुनेत्रे विलासिनि।।।।मनो हरसि मे कान्ते नदी कूलमिवाम्भसा।करान्तमितमध्यासि सुकेशी संहतस्तनी।।।।

Transliteration

cārusmite cārudati cārunetre vilāsini | mano harasi me kānte nadī kūlam ivāmbhasā | karāntamitamadhyāsi sukeśī saṃhatastanī ||

Translation

O may ngiting kaibig-ibig, may ngiping marikit, may matang maningning—mapaglaro at kaakit-akit; dinadala mo ang aking isipan, sinta, na gaya ng agos ng ilog na sumasandig sa pampang. Ang iyong baywang ay napakanipis na masusukat ng isang dangkal; maganda ang iyong buhok, at ang iyong dibdib ay siksik at ganap.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle 'indeed/just')

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: विकल्प-प्रत्याख्यान (Rejected alternative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: nor
• न: निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• गन्धर्वी: gandharva-woman
• गन्धर्वी: विकल्प-प्रत्याख्यान
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: nor
• न: निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• यक्षी: yakṣī
• यक्षी: विकल्प-प्रत्याख्यान
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्षी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: nor
• न: निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction 'and/also')

• किन्नरी: kinnarī
• किन्नरी: विकल्प-प्रत्याख्यान
• Type: Noun
• Root: किन्नरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एवम्-रूपा: of such beauty
• एवम्-रूपा: कर्तृविशेषण (Qualifier of nārī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: एवम् रूपा (of such form/beauty)

• मया: by me
• मया: कर्ता (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; 1st person pronoun

• नारी: woman
• नारी: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of passive participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्ट-पूर्वा: seen before
• दृष्ट-पूर्वा: कर्तृविशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त; √दृश् (धातु) क्त) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नारी-विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः: पूर्वं दृष्टा (seen before)

• मही-तले: on the earth's surface
• मही-तले: अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: मह्याः तलम्

Context

O lady with an elegant smile, beautiful teeth, lovely eyes! you are enticing.Your slender waist can be compassed by my fist.Your hair is beautiful and your large breasts are rubbing against each other.You are capturing my mind just as the flow of water in a river touches its banks.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā (implied addressee)

FAQs

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

The verse demonstrates how desire-driven speech can become manipulative; dharma requires self-restraint and honoring boundaries, not using flattery to unsettle another’s mind.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa continues his persuasive address to Sītā, describing her features and confessing his captivation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast, the ideal virtue is brahmacarya/self-control and respectful speech; Sītā’s steadfastness is the moral counterpoint in the episode.