Shloka 18

रावणवधदर्शनम्

Lament of the Rākṣasa Women upon Seeing Rāvaṇa Slain

Devanagari script

अशृण्वतातुसुहृदांसततंहितवादिनाम् ।मरणायहृतासीताराक्षसाश्चनिपातिताः ।।।।एतास्सममिदानींतेवयमात्मा च पातितः ।

Transliteration

aśṛṇvatā tu suhṛdāṃ satataṃ hitavādinām |

maraṇāya hṛtā sītā rākṣasāś ca nipātitāḥ ||6.113.18||

etāḥ samam idānīṃ te vayam ātmā ca pātitaḥ |

Translation

Vì ngươi không nghe lời những thân hữu luôn nói điều lợi ích, ngươi đã bắt cóc nàng Sītā để rồi chuốc lấy cái chết; các La-sát cũng bị đánh ngã. Nay tất cả đã cùng sa ngã: ngươi, chúng ta, và cả chính bản thân ngươi cũng tiêu vong.

Word by Word

अशृण्वताby (you) not listening

तुbut, indeed

सुहृदाम्of well-wishers, friends

सततम्always

हितवादिनाम्of those who speak what is beneficial

मरणायfor death

हृताwas taken away

सीताSita

राक्षसाःRakshasas

चand

निपातिताःwere struck down

एताःthese (women)

समम्together, at once

इदानीम्now

तेto you / of you

वयम्we

आत्माyourself (the self)

चand

पातितःhas been brought down/destroyed

Context

"You did not listen to the good advice of your dear and good at heart. You brought Sita and destroyed yourself and all of us at a time."

Characters & Entities

Sītā

Rākṣasas

Laṅkā (implied)

Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Ignoring truthful, beneficial counsel (hitavacana) and violating another’s marital sanctity leads to collective ruin; adharma in leadership destroys both self and society.

What is the narrative situation?

The women explicitly connect Laṅkā’s devastation to Rāvaṇa’s refusal to heed well-wishers and his abduction of Sītā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue of listening to wise counsel—humility and receptivity to satya (truth)—is emphasized by its absence in Rāvaṇa.