Shloka 38

सीताभर्त्सना

The Ogresses’ Threats to Sita and Her Vow of Fidelity

Devanagari script

उत्पाट्य वा ते हृदयं भक्षयिष्यामि मैथिलि।यदि मे व्याहृतं वाक्यं न यथावत्करिष्यसि।।5.24.38।।

Transliteration

utpāṭya vā te hṛdayaṃ bhakṣayiṣyāmi maithili |

yadi me vyāhṛtaṃ vākyaṃ na yathāvat kariṣyasi ||5.24.38||

Translation

O Maithilī, wenn du meinen ausgesprochenen Befehl nicht ordnungsgemäß ausführst, werde ich dein Herz herausreißen und es verschlingen.

Word by Word

• utpāṭya: having torn out
• utpāṭya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-pāṭ (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् (gerund), ‘having torn out/plucked out’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• te: your/of you
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• hṛdayam: heart
• hṛdayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• bhakṣayiṣyāmi: I will eat/devour
• bhakṣayiṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• maithili: O Maithili
• maithili: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maithilī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• me: my/of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive) / चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative) एकवचन; here genitive ‘my’

• vyāhṛtam: spoken/uttered
• vyāhṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ā-hṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with vākyaṃ

• vākyam: word/speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• yathāvat: properly/as required
• yathāvat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner adverb (रीतिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• kariṣyasi: you will do/obey
• kariṣyasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

'O Mythili! if you heed not my words of advice, I will pluck out your heart and eat it up'.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Maithilī)

FAQs

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

The verse exemplifies adharma through violence and coercion. The Ramayana’s dharma framework condemns forcing compliance by terror; truth and righteousness cannot be produced by threats.

What is the narrative situation?

When persuasion fails, a rākṣasī resorts to extreme intimidation, threatening bodily harm to compel Sītā’s submission.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage rooted in truth—Sītā’s refusal to abandon dharma even under threat of death.