Shloka 20

रावणभवनपरिक्रमणं हनूमतः शोकविचारश्च

Hanuman’s Circuit of Ravana’s Palace and the Crisis of Deliberation

Devanagari script

यदि सीतामदृष्ट्वाऽहं वानरेन्द्रपुरीमितः।।।।गमिष्यामि ततः को मे पुरुषार्थो भविष्यति।

Transliteration

yadi sītām adṛṣṭvāhaṃ vānarendra-purīm itaḥ | gamiṣyāmi tataḥ ko me puruṣārtho bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

Wenn ich von hier in die Stadt des Königs der Vānaras zurückkehre, ohne Sītā gesehen zu haben, welcher Verdienst, welche Leistung wäre dann die meine?

Word by Word

यदिif

सीताम्Sita

अदृष्ट्वाwithout seeing

अहम्I

वानरेन्द्रपुरीम्to the city of the lord of monkeys

इतःfrom here

गमिष्यामिI will go

ततःthen/thereupon

कःwhat (which)

मेmy

पुरुषार्थःpurpose/accomplishment

भविष्यतिwill be

Context

"If I return to Kishkinda without seeing Sita of what use is my effort? What have I accomplished? What will happen? (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha are the four Purusharthas or accomplishments in life)

Characters & Entities

Hanumān

Sītā

Kiṣkindhā (implied by vānarendra-purī)

FAQs

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

Dharma as accountability: effort gains moral meaning when it fulfills the entrusted purpose; returning without verified truth about Sītā would fail the duty owed to Rāma and the Vānara alliance.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān worries that returning to Kiṣkindhā without finding Sītā would render his mission meaningless.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sense of responsibility—Hanumān measures success by service to the mission, not by personal survival or comfort.