Shloka 12

रावण–मारीचसंवादः तथा मृगप्रलोभनपूर्वकं सीताहरणोपक्रमः

Rāvaṇa–Mārīca Dialogue and the Decoy-Deer Prelude to Sītā’s Abduction

Devanagari script

ईदृश: स मुने लोक: स्वकर्मफलहेतुक: । सुकृतैस्तत्र पुरुषा: सम्भवन्त्यात्मकर्मभि:,महर्षे! स्वर्गलोक ऐसा ही है। अपने सत्कर्मोके फलरूप ही उसकी प्राप्ति होती है। मनुष्य वहाँ अपने किये हुए पुण्यकर्मोंसे ही रह पाते हैं

Transliteration

īdṛśaḥ sa mune lokaḥ svakarmaphalahetukaḥ | sukṛtais tatra puruṣāḥ sambhavanti ātmakarmabhiḥ, maharṣe |

Translation

“Bạch hiền giả, cõi ấy là như vậy: chỉ đạt được do quả báo từ chính nghiệp của mình. Ở đó, con người sinh khởi và tồn tại chỉ nhờ những công đức do tự thân đã tạo, hỡi bậc đại thánh.”

Word by Word

ईदृशःsuch, of this kind

सःthat (he/it)

मुनेO sage

लोकःworld, realm

स्वकर्मफलहेतुकःhaving one's own action's fruit as the cause; caused by the fruit of one's own deeds

सुकृतैःby good deeds, by merits

तत्रthere

पुरुषाःmen, persons

सम्भवन्तिarise/come into being; are possible; occur

आत्मकर्मभिःby their own actions/deeds

महर्षेO great sage

Speaker

देवदूत उवाच

Characters & Entities

द

देवदूत (divine messenger)

म

मुनि/महर्षि (sage addressed)

स

स्वर्गलोक (heavenly world, implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that higher realms (such as heaven) are not gained by chance or favor alone but are causally grounded in one’s own actions: merit (sukṛta/puṇya) is the determining basis for attaining and sustaining that state.

What is happening in the narrative?

A divine messenger addresses a sage, explaining the principle governing the heavenly realm: it is a world whose attainment and continued enjoyment depend on the fruits of one’s own good deeds.