Valmiki Ramayana 2.28.16 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 28, Shloka 16

सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः

Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile

Devanagari script

उपहारश्च कर्तव्यः कुसुमै स्स्वयमाहृतैः।आर्षेण विधिना वेद्यां बाले दुःखमतो वनम्।।2.28.16।।

Transliteration

upahāraś ca kartavyaḥ kusumaiḥ svayam-āhṛtaiḥ |

ārṣeṇa vidhinā vedyāṃ bāle duḥkham ato vanam ||2.28.16||

Translation

Auch sind auf dem Altar nach der Vorschrift der Seher Opfergaben darzubringen, mit Blumen, die man selbst gepflückt hat; darum, o Unschuldige, ist das Waldleben beschwerlich.

Word by Word

• upahāraḥ: offering
• upahāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avadhāraṇa (conjunction/particle: 'and/also')

• kartavyaḥ: should be made/done
• kartavyaḥ: Vidhi (विधि/obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + tavya (तव्य प्रत्यय)
• Form: Kṛtya (gerundive/obligative), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bhāva of obligation (should be done)

• kusumaiḥ: with flowers
• kusumaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकaliṅga (Neuter), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb: 'oneself/by oneself')

• āhṛtaiḥ: brought
• āhṛtaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of 'flowers')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-hṛ (आ-हृ धातु) + kta (क्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: Bhūtakāla-kṛdanta (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; agrees with kusumaiḥ

• ārṣeṇa: according to the seers'/Vedic
• ārṣeṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; qualifies vidhinā

• vidhinā: by the prescribed rite
• vidhinā: Karaṇa (करण/Means: 'by the rule')
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• vedyām: on the altar
• vedyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/7th), Ekavacana

• bāle: O innocent girl
• bāle: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana

• duḥkham: painful
• duḥkham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; predicate adjective for vanam

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (causal adverb: 'therefore/for this reason')

• vanam: forest life / the forest
• vanam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject: 'forest-life/forest')
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

Context

The wanderers in the jungle, O daughter of Mithila, have to be satisfied daily with whatever little food is available. So forest (life) is a hard life.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• vedī (altar)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes faithful performance of prescribed rites with personal effort—offerings are not delegated luxuries but disciplined acts, even in exile.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma stresses that exile entails continuing sacred duties—collecting materials oneself and maintaining altar-offerings.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence and diligence: the willingness to uphold sacred practice through one’s own labor.