Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 68, Shloka 13

सीताया यशोधर्मविचारः

Sita’s Counsel on Honor, Rescue-Strategy, and Hanuman’s Reassurance

Devanagari script

यथाऽहं तस्य वीरस्य वनादुपधिना हृता।रक्षसा तद्भयादेव तथा नार्हति राघवः।।।।

Transliteration

yathāhaṃ tasya vīrasya vanād upadhinā hṛtā | rakṣasā tadbhayād eva tathā nārhati rāghavaḥ ||

Translation

Just as I was taken from the forest from that hero by a rākṣasa through deceit—out of fear—so should Rāghava not take me back in such a manner; it would not be fitting for him.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (comparative particle: as/just as)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक (contextual), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• वीरस्य: of the hero
• वीरस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; तस्य इति सह सम्बन्धः

• वनात्: from the forest
• वनात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• उपधिना: by deceit/stratagem
• उपधिना: करण (Karaṇa/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (or स्त्रीलिङ्ग in some uses), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• हृता: abducted/taken away
• हृता: कर्म (Karma as subject in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (passive sense)

• रक्षसा: by the demon
• रक्षसा: कर्ता (Kartā/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Determinative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (as determiner), एकवचन; भयात् इति सह

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुलनार्थक/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus/in that manner)

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

• अर्हति: is fit/deserves
• अर्हति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

Context

'Tell valiant Rama not to take me back the way Ravana, the demon abducted me out of fear. Which is not right.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Rāvaṇa (implied as rakṣasa)
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Dharma distinguishes righteous means from unrighteous: Sītā rejects rescue by fear or deceit because it would mirror the adharma of her abduction and diminish Rāma’s maryādā.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā cautions that Rāma should not retrieve her by a method resembling Rāvaṇa’s deceptive abduction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s integrity and insistence on honorable conduct even under extreme suffering.