Shloka 67

पम्पा

तीर-वर्णनम् / Rama’s Lament at Pampa and the Approach to Rishyamuka

Devanagari script

अहो कामस्य वामत्वं यो गतामपि दुर्लभाम्।स्मारयिष्यति कल्याणीं कल्याणतरवादिनीम्।।।।

Transliteration

aho kāmasya vāmatvaṃ yo gatām api durlabhām | smārayiṣyati kalyāṇīṃ kalyāṇataravādinīm ||

Translation

Ach, wie widersinnig ist Kāma! Er lässt mich jener glückverheißenden Frau gedenken, deren Stimme süßer ist als alles, obwohl sie fort ist und schwer zu erreichen.

Word by Word

• अहो: alas! oh!
• अहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (सम्बोधन/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार (interjection), अव्यय

• कामस्य: of love / of Kāma
• कामस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive

• वामत्वम्: contrariness, perversity
• वामत्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; Relative pronoun

• गताम्: gone, departed, lost
• गताम्: Karma (कर्म/Object) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Past participle used adjectivally

• अपि: even, although
• अपि: Modifier (निपात/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; concessive/emphatic

• दुर्लभाम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक: दुर् + लभ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adjective to 'कल्याणीम्' (or implied स्त्री)

• स्मारयिष्यति: will remind / will make (one) remember
• स्मारयिष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्मारय्
• Form: लृट् (Future/लृट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; causative: 'will cause to remember'

• कल्याणीम्: the auspicious lady
• कल्याणीम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative

• कल्याणतरवादिनीम्: who speaks very sweetly
• कल्याणतरवादिनीम्: Karma (कर्म/Object) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्याणतर + वादिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'speaking more pleasantly/auspiciously' qualifying 'कल्याणीम्'

Context

'Oh! how adversly disposed is the god of love! He makes me remember that auspicious lady with a pleasing voice when she is lost and difficult to reach.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sītā
• Kāma (god/principle of love)

FAQs

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

It distinguishes dharmic love from mere indulgence: Rāma’s remembrance is rooted in commitment and truth (satya) to his spouse, even as he acknowledges the mind’s involuntary pull.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma speaks of how springtime beauty provokes longing, causing vivid recollection of Sītā while she remains separated from him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Honest self-awareness—Rāma names the force of desire without letting it distort his purpose of rescue and righteous action.