Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तांस्तु दृष्ट्वा नरव्याघ्रो राघवः प्रत्युवाच ह।।।।क्व सीतेति निरीक्षन्वै बाष्पसंरुद्धया दृशा।

Transliteration

tāṃs tu dṛṣṭvā naravyāghro rāghavaḥ pratyuvāca ha | kva sīteti nirīkṣan vai bāṣpasaṃruddhayā dṛśā ||

Translation

সিহঁতক দেখি, নৰব্যাঘ্ৰ ৰাঘৱে অশ্ৰুৰে আৱৃত দৃষ্টিৰে চাৰিওফালে চাই সুধিলে—“সীতা ক’ত?”

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• नरव्याघ्रः: tiger among men
• नरव्याघ्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर+व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: नराणां व्याघ्रः (tiger among men)

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-उप-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• ह: indeed/then
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (narrative particle)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सीता: Sita
• सीता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• निरीक्षन्: looking around/observing
• निरीक्षन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• बाष्पसंरुद्धया: blocked/blurred by tears
• बाष्पसंरुद्धया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाष्प+संरुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: बाष्पेण संरुद्धा (blocked by tears)

• दृशा: with (his) sight/eyes
• दृशा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Context

With his vision blurred by tears, Rama, the best among men, looked at them and asked them 'Where is Sita'?

Characters & Entities

• Rama (Raghava, naravyaghra)
• Sita
• deer (mṛga)

FAQs

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

Dharma is compassionate urgency grounded in truth: even in tears, Rāma seeks factual direction—‘where’—so that right action can follow.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma directly questions the deer, believing they may indicate the route of Sītā’s abduction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Tenderness without weakness—Rāma’s tears coexist with leadership and decisive inquiry.