Mahabharata 3.265.1-7

Devanāgarī

मार्कण्डेय उवाच
ततस् तां भर्तृशोकार्तां दीनां मलिनवाससम् ॥
मणिशेषाभ्यलंकारां रुदतीं च पतिव्रताम् ॥
राक्षसीभिर् उपास्यन्तीं समासीनां शिलातले ॥
रावणः कामबाणार्तो ददर्शोपससर्प च ॥
देवदानवगन्धर्वयक्षकिंपुरुषैर् युधि ॥
अजितो ऽशोकवनिकां ययौ कन्दर्पमोहितः ॥
दिव्याम्बरधरः श्रीमान् सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डलः ॥
विचित्रमाल्यमुकुटो वसन्त इव मूर्तिमान् ॥
स कल्पवृक्षसदृशो यत्नाद् अपि विभूषितः ॥
श्मशानचैत्यद्रुमवद् भूषितो ऽपि भयंकरः ॥
स तस्यास् तनुमध्यायाः समीपे रजनीचरः ॥
ददृशे रोहिणीम् एत्य शनैश्चर इव ग्रहः ॥
स ताम् आमन्त्र्य सुश्रोणीं पुष्पकेतुशराहतः ॥
इदम् इत्य् अब्रवीद् बालां त्रस्तां रौहीम् इवाबलाम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
tatas tāṃ bhartṛśokārtāṃ dīnāṃ malinavāsasam ||
maṇiśeṣābhyalaṃkārāṃ rudatīṃ ca pativratām ||
rākṣasībhir upāsyantīṃ samāsīnāṃ śilātale ||
rāvaṇaḥ kāmabāṇārto dadarśopasasarpa ca ||
devadānavagandharvayakṣakiṃpuruṣair yudhi ||
ajito 'śokavanikāṃ yayau kandarpamohitaḥ ||
divyāmbaradharaḥ śrīmān sumṛṣṭamaṇikuṇḍalaḥ ||
vicitramālyamukuṭo vasanta iva mūrtimān ||
sa kalpavṛkṣasadṛśo yatnād api vibhūṣitaḥ ||
śmaśānacaityadrumavad bhūṣito 'pi bhayaṃkaraḥ ||
sa tasyās tanumadhyāyāḥ samīpe rajanīcaraḥ ||
dadṛśe rohiṇīm etya śanaiścara iva grahaḥ ||
sa tām āmantrya suśroṇīṃ puṣpaketuśarāhataḥ ||
idam ity abravīd bālāṃ trastāṃ rauhīm ivābalām ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततस् तां भर्तृशोकार्तां दीनां मलिनवाससम् ॥ मणिशेषाभ्यलंकारां रुदतीं च पतिव्रताम् ॥ राक्षसीभिर् उपास्यन्तीं समासीनां शिलातले ॥ रावणः कामबाणार्तो ददर्शोपससर्प च ॥ देवदानवगन्धर्वयक्षकिंपुरुषैर् युधि ॥ अजितो ऽशोकवनिकां ययौ कन्दर्पमोहितः ॥ दिव्याम्बरधरः श्रीमान् सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डलः ॥ विचित्रमाल्यमुकुटो वसन्त इव मूर्तिमान् ॥ स कल्पवृक्षसदृशो यत्नाद् अपि विभूषितः ॥ श्मशानचैत्यद्रुमवद् भूषितो ऽपि भयंकरः ॥ स तस्यास् तनुमध्यायाः समीपे रजनीचरः ॥ ददृशे रोहिणीम् एत्य शनैश्चर इव ग्रहः ॥ स ताम् आमन्त्र्य सुश्रोणीं पुष्पकेतुशराहतः ॥ इदम् इत्य् अब्रवीद् बालां त्रस्तां रौहीम् इवाबलाम् ॥mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tatas tāṃ bhartṛśokārtāṃ dīnāṃ malinavāsasam || maṇiśeṣābhyalaṃkārāṃ rudatīṃ ca pativratām || rākṣasībhir upāsyantīṃ samāsīnāṃ śilātale || rāvaṇaḥ kāmabāṇārto dadarśopasasarpa ca || devadānavagandharvayakṣakiṃpuruṣair yudhi || ajito 'śokavanikāṃ yayau kandarpamohitaḥ || divyāmbaradharaḥ śrīmān sumṛṣṭamaṇikuṇḍalaḥ || vicitramālyamukuṭo vasanta iva mūrtimān || sa kalpavṛkṣasadṛśo yatnād api vibhūṣitaḥ || śmaśānacaityadrumavad bhūṣito 'pi bhayaṃkaraḥ || sa tasyās tanumadhyāyāḥ samīpe rajanīcaraḥ || dadṛśe rohiṇīm etya śanaiścara iva grahaḥ || sa tām āmantrya suśroṇīṃ puṣpaketuśarāhataḥ || idam ity abravīd bālāṃ trastāṃ rauhīm ivābalām ||Rāvaṇa, struck by the arrows of Kāma, comes to the Ashoka grove and sees Sītā grieving for her husband, wretched, in soiled garments, with but a single ornament remaining, weeping, faithful to her husband, and surrounded by rākṣasīs; he approaches her in divine garments, with bright jeweled earrings, garlands, and a crown, like spring incarnate, yet terrible as a tree in a cremation ground, and draws near to her as Śani draws near to Rohiṇī.

Translation

Rāvaṇa, struck by the arrows of Kāma, entered the Ashoka grove and saw Sītā: she grieved for her husband, wretched, in soiled garments, with a single ornament remaining, weeping, faithful to her husband, seated on a stone slab amid the rākṣasīs. He came in, clad in divine garments, with bright jeweled earrings, many-colored garlands, and a crown, as if spring itself had taken form — yet even adorned, he was terrible as a tree in a cremation ground. He drew near to slender-waisted Sītā as the somber planet Śani draws near to Rohiṇī.

Commentary

Rāvaṇa's outward splendor cannot conceal his inner impurity. The poetic comparison to a cremation-ground tree shows that ornament without dharma only deepens the horror.

Version

a29625db2ddc · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:30:22 PM UTC

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