Shloka 4

दशमः सर्गः — Rama’s Vow to Protect the Sages of Daṇḍaka

Dharma of Refuge

Devanagari script

ते चार्ता दण्डकारण्ये मुनयस्संशितव्रताः।मां सीते स्वयमागम्य शरण्याश्शरणं गताः।।।।

Transliteration

te cārtā daṇḍakāraṇye munayaḥ saṁśitavratāḥ |

māṁ sīte svayam āgamya śaraṇyāḥ śaraṇaṁ gatāḥ ||

Translation

O Sītā, jene in Not geratenen Weisen im Daṇḍaka-Wald, von streng gefestigten Gelübden, kamen selbst zu mir und suchten Zuflucht bei dem, der würdig ist, Schutz zu gewähren.

Word by Word

• te: they/those
• te: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1), Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samucchaya-nipāta

• ārtāḥ: distressed
• ārtāḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1), Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa of munayaḥ

• daṇḍakāraṇye: in the Daṇḍaka forest
• daṇḍakāraṇye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍaka-araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya/Name-compound ‘Daṇḍaka-forest’; Napumsaka, Saptamī (7), Ekavacana

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1), Bahuvacana

• saṃśitavratāḥ: of rigorous vows
• saṃśitavratāḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃśita + vrata (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘whose vows are well-restrained/rigorous’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa of munayaḥ

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā (2), Ekavacana

• sīte: O Sītā
• sīte: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb

• āgamya: having come
• āgamya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्/क्त्वार्थ), pūrvakāla-kriyā ‘having come’

• śaraṇyāḥ: (those) worthy of refuge / protectable
• śaraṇyāḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1), Bahuvacana; predicate/epithet ‘worthy of giving refuge’

• śaraṇam: refuge
• śaraṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2), Ekavacana

• gatāḥ: went/approached
• gatāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Kta-participle, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; ‘having gone/attained’

Context

O Sita I may forfeit my life forsake, even Lakshmana and you but will not break the promise made specially to the brahmins৷৷

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Sita
• Dandaka forest (Daṇḍakāraṇya)
• sages (muni)

FAQs

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

Granting refuge (śaraṇa) is a key dharmic obligation: those capable of protection must respond when the righteous are oppressed.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama explains that ascetic sages of Dandaka, though austere and disciplined, approached him for protection due to their distress.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s role as a protector—worthiness to shelter others (śaraṇya).