Shloka 43

सीतारावणसंवादः

Ravana Reveals Himself; Sita Affirms Rama’s Dharma

Devanagari script

अग्निं प्रज्वलितं दृष्ट्वा वस्त्रेणाहर्तुमिच्छसि।।3.47.43।।काल्याणवृत्तां रामस्य यो भार्यांहर्तुमिच्छसि।

Transliteration

agniṁ prajvalitaṁ dṛṣṭvā vastreṇāhartum icchasi || 3.47.43 || kalyāṇavṛttāṁ rāmasya yo bhāryāṁ hartum icchasi |

Translation

Ramas Frau ergreifen zu wollen – sie, deren Verhalten edel ist – ist, als würde man versuchen, loderndes Feuer in einem Tuch zu fangen, nachdem man es gesehen hat.

Word by Word

• agnim: fire
• agnim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• prajvalitam: blazing
• prajvalitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√jval (धातु)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; past passive participle (क्त) qualifying agnim

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा) = having seen

• vastreṇa: with a cloth
• vastreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• āhartum: to take up
• āhartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Tumun-infinitive (तुमुन्) with upasarga ā- = to take up/bring (here: to take/hold)

• icchasi: you wish
• icchasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• kalyāṇa-vṛttām: virtuous
• kalyāṇa-vṛttām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalyāṇa (प्रातिपदik) + vṛtta (प्रातिपदik; from √vṛt)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: kalyāṇaṃ vṛttaṃ yasyāḥ (of virtuous conduct)

• rāmasya: of Rama
• rāmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• yaḥ: he who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• bhāryām: wife
• bhāryām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• hartum: to abduct
• hartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Tumun-infinitive (तुमुन्) = to seize/carry off

• icchasi: you wish
• icchasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

Context

You intend to assaut the wife of Rama, who is a lady of virtuous conduct. You wish to hold blazing fire in your cloth.

Characters & Entities

• Mārīca
• Rāvaṇa
• Rāma
• Sītā
• Fire (Agni)

FAQs

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

Dharma protects the virtuous; harming the righteous rebounds upon the aggressor—like fire burning the cloth that tries to contain it.

What is the narrative situation?

Mārīca frames Sītā’s abduction as inherently ruinous due to her virtue and Rāma’s righteous power.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s kalyāṇa-vṛtti (noble conduct) and the moral inviolability that Dharma grants to the righteous.