Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 31, Shloka 10

सुन्‍दरकाण्डे एकत्रिंशः सर्गः

Hanuman’s Sweet Address to Sita and Sita’s Recognition

Devanagari script

जनस्थानवधं श्रुत्वा हतौ च खरदूषणौ।ततस्त्वमर्षापहृता जानकी रावणेन तु।।।।वञ्चयित्वा वने रामं मृगरूपेण मायया।

Transliteration

janasthānavadhaṃ śrutvā hatau ca kharadūṣaṇau |

tatas tvam amarṣāpahṛtā jānakī rāvaṇena tu ||

vañcayitvā vane rāmaṃ mṛgarūpeṇa māyayā |

Translation

لما سمع رافَنا بمذبحة جانَسثانا وبمقتل خَرا ودوشَنا، استبدّت به الحمية والغضب؛ فبعد أن خدع راما في الغابة بسحرٍ في هيئة غزال، اختطفكِ يا جانكي.

Word by Word

• जनस्थान-वधम्: the slaughter at Janasthana
• जनस्थान-वधम्: कर्म (Object of śrutvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनस्थान (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समास (जनस्थाने वधः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having heard)

• हतौ: (both) slain
• हतौ: क्रिया (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रथमा-द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; 'killed' (agreeing with kharadūṣaṇau)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• खर-दूषणौ: Khara and Dushana
• खर-दूषणौ: कर्ता (Subject of 'hatौ')
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर (प्रातिपदिक/नाम) + दूषण (प्रातिपदिक/नाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; द्वन्द्व-समास (खरश्च दूषणश्च)

• ततः: then
• ततः: सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/thereupon)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वितीयपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• अमर्ष-अपहृता: were abducted in anger
• अमर्ष-अपहृता: क्रिया (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अमर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अपहृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त: अप-√हृ (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रथमा, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समास (अमर्षेण अपहृता = abducted out of anger)

• जानकी: Janaki (Sita)
• जानकी: कर्ता (Subject; apposition to tvam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• रावणेन: by Ravana
• रावणेन: कर्ता (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्तृकरणे (agent in passive)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• वञ्चयित्वा: having deceived
• वञ्चयित्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वञ्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having deceived'

• वने: in the forest
• वने: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• रामम्: Rama
• रामम्: कर्म (Object of vañcayitvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• मृग-रूपेण: in the form of a deer
• मृग-रूपेण: करण (Means/guise)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समास (मृगस्य रूपम्)

• मायया: by illusion
• मायया: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

Context

After deliberating in several ways the great Hanuman spoke these sweet words to Vaidehi:

Characters & Entities

• Jana-sthāna
• Khara
• Dūṣaṇa
• Rāvaṇa
• Rāma
• Jānakī (Sītā)
• māyā (illusion)
• mṛga (deer form)

FAQs

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

Adharma is marked by deceit and rage: Rāvaṇa’s abduction is framed as arising from amarṣa (resentful anger) and accomplished through māyā (deception), opposed to satya and dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān recounts to Sītā the causal chain leading to her abduction: the Jana-sthāna battle, Rāvaṇa’s anger, the deer-illusion, and the kidnapping.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hanumān’s fidelity to truth and clarity: he narrates events accurately to build trust and orient Sītā within the larger moral narrative.