Valmiki Ramayana 2.27.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 27, Shloka 2

सीताया वनगमननिश्चयः

Sita’s Resolve to Accompany Rama to the Forest

Devanagari script

किमिदं भाषसे राम वाक्यं लघुतया ध्रुवम् ।

त्वया यदपहास्यं मे श्रुत्वा नरवरात्मज ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.27.2

Transliteration

kim idaṃ bhāṣase rāma vākyaṃ laghutayā dhruvam |

tvayā yad apahāsyaṃ me śrutvā naravarātmaja ||2||

Translation

Warum sprichst du, Rāma, solche Worte so leichtfertig und so gewiss? O Königssohn—würdest du dieselben Worte an dich gerichtet hören, würdest du sie gewiss für lächerlich halten.

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Word by Word

• kim: what
• kim: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; interrogative qualifying idaṃ/vākyaṃ: 'what'

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; demonstrative qualifying vākyaṃ

• bhāṣase: are you speaking
• bhāṣase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhāṣ (भाष् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present), Madhyama puruṣa (2nd), Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• rāma: O Rāma
• rāma: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative), Ekavacana

• vākyam: words/speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• laghutayā: lightly/trivially
• laghutayā: Karaṇa (करण; manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laghutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana; instrumental of manner

• dhruvam: certainly
• dhruvam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nipāta used adverbially meaning certainty (निश्चयार्थ)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (कर्ता; agent of implied act 'to ridicule')
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; relative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun used as connector; Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; links clause

• apahāsyam: ridiculous/fit to be mocked
• apahāsyam: Karma (कर्म; predicate about vākyaṃ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apa-has (अप-हस् धातु) + ya (यत्/कृत्य sense)
• Form: Kṛtya (gerundive) used as predicate adjective; Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; 'fit to be mocked'

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Caturthī (4th/चतुर्थी) or Ṣaṣṭhī enclitic form; here dative of reference: 'for me/to me'

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वा); 'having heard'

• naravarātmaja: O son of the best of men
• naravarātmaja: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara-vara-ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक); components: nara (नर) + vara (वर) + ātmaja (आत्मज)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative), Ekavacana

Context

O Rama! why are you speaking so lightly? O prince! if you hear these very same words (spoken to you), you will ridicule me.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā

FAQs

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

It highlights accountability and fairness in speech: one should not minimize another’s duty or pain with casual words; Dharma requires empathy and measured, truthful counsel.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā responds to Rāma’s attempt to dissuade her from accompanying him to exile, challenging the lightness of his reasoning.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s moral clarity and firmness—she tests the consistency of Rāma’s words by applying them back to him.