Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 47, Shloka 21

पुष्पकविमानेन सीताया युद्धभूमिदर्शनम्

Sita Shown the Battlefield in the Pushpaka

Devanagari script

तौदृष्टवाभ्रातरौतत्रप्रवीरौपुरुषर्षभौ ।शयानौपुण्डरीकाक्षौकुमाराविवपावकी ।।।।शरतल्पगतौवीरौतथाभूतानरर्षभौ ।दुःखार्ताकरुणंसीतासुभृशंविललापह ।।।।

Transliteration

tau dṛṣṭvā bhrātarau tatra pravīrau puruṣarṣabhau | śayānau puṇḍarīkākṣau kumārāv iva pāvakī |

śara-talpa-gatau vīrau tathā-bhūtau nararṣabhau | duḥkhārtā karuṇaṃ sītā subhṛśaṃ vilalāpa ha ||

Translation

Seeing there the two brothers—great heroes, foremost among men, lotus-eyed—lying as if they were the youthful sons of the Fire-god, fallen upon a bed of arrows in that condition, Sītā, overwhelmed by grief, lamented piteously and at length.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), द्विवचन (Dual)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: दृश्, अर्थ: having seen

• भ्रातरौ: the two brothers
• भ्रातरौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), द्विवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्रवीरौ: two gallant ones
• प्रवीरौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण (adjective) of भ्रातरौ/तौ

• पुरुषर्षभौ: bulls among men
• पुरुषर्षभौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पुरुषाणाम् ऋषभौ), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; उपाधि/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध

• शयानौ: lying
• शयानौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle/वर्तमान-कृदन्त), प्रथमा/द्वितीया? here agreeing with तौ (Accusative dual masculine) as विशेषण; रूप: शयानौ (पुं., द्विवचन, द्वितीया)

• पुण्डरीकाक्षौ: lotus-eyed (two)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्डरीक + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: पुण्डरीक-सदृशे अक्षिणी यस्य), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण of तौ

• कुमारौ: two youths/sons
• कुमारौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; उपमेय (thing compared)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha/Upamā (सम्बन्ध/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• पावकी: (the two) fires
• पावकी: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; उपमान (standard of comparison)

Context

Seeing the gallant bulls among men, the two brothers with big eyes, the two heroes like sons of fire god lying on the bed of arrows in such a state, Sita was filled with intense sorrow and pity burst into tears being affected extremely.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

Compassion aligned with fidelity: Sītā’s grief reflects steadfast marital dharma and humane sensitivity, even amid a battlefield’s cruelty.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā is brought to witness the two brothers apparently felled by a barrage of arrows; the shock triggers her intense lament.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s unwavering love and truth-bound loyalty (satya-niṣṭhā) to Rāma, expressed through sincere, uncalculated sorrow.