Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 13, Shloka 53

रावणभवनपरिक्रमणं हनूमतः शोकविचारश्च

Hanuman’s Circuit of Ravana’s Palace and the Crisis of Deliberation

Devanagari script

सम्पातिवचनाच्चापि रामं यद्यानयाम्यहम्।।।।अपश्यन् राघवो भार्यां निर्धहेत्सर्ववानरान्।

Transliteration

sampātivacanāc cāpi rāmaṃ yady ānayāmy aham | apaśyan rāghavo bhāryāṃ nirdhahet sarvavānarān ||

Translation

And if, relying only on Sampāti’s report, I had brought Rāma here—then, not seeing his wife, Rāghava would have burned all the vānara hosts in fury.

Word by Word

• sampātivacanāt: from Sampati's words
• sampātivacanāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sampāti + vacana (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) "Sampāteḥ vacanam"; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Pañcamī vibhakti (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; ablative of cause/source

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle "also/even"

• rāmam: Rama
• rāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conditional conjunction

• ānayāmi: I bring
• ānayāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present) used in conditional sense; Parasmaipada, Uttama puruṣa (1st), Ekavacana

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Uttama-puruṣa pronoun; Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• apaśyan: not seeing
• apaśyan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/participial qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-√paś (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-present participle (शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; negated; agrees with rāghavaḥ; "not seeing"

• rāghavaḥ: Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• bhāryām: (his) wife
• bhāryām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• nirdhahet: would burn
• nirdhahet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√dah (धातु)
• Form: Vidhiliṅ (विधिलिङ्, potential/optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana

• sarvavānarān: all the vanaras
• sarvavānarān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + vānara (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) "sarve vānaraḥ"; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Bahuvacana

Context

"Had I brought Raghava following the words of Sampati, Rama would have burnt all vanaras unable to find his wife.

Characters & Entities

• Sampāti
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Sītā (as bhāryā)
• Vānara-s

FAQs

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

Dharma includes accountability for consequences: a messenger must not act prematurely and endanger allies; सत्य requires confirmation before escalating action.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān reasons that bringing Rāma to Laṅkā without first locating Sītā could lead to catastrophic rage and harm to the vānara forces.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical wisdom and protective leadership—Hanumān thinks not only of success but also of preventing harm to his companions.