Shloka 28

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

यादृशानीह दृश्यन्ते लङ्कायामशुभानि वै।अचिरेणैव कालेन भविष्यति हतप्रभा।।।।

Transliteration

yādṛśānīha dṛśyante laṅkāyām aśubhāni vai |

acireṇaiva kālena bhaviṣyati hataprabhā ||

Translation

Solche unheilvollen Zeichen, wie man sie hier in Laṅkā erblickt — wahrlich, in Kürze wird diese Stadt ihren Glanz verlieren.

Word by Word

• यादृशानि: such as, of what kind
• यादृशानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; correlates with तादृश-implicit; qualifies अशुभानि

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; place-adverb

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; passive sense ‘are seen’

• लङ्कायाम्: in Lanka
• लङ्कायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अशुभानि: inauspicious signs
• अशुभानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘inauspicious things/signs’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle

• अचिरेण: soon
• अचिरेण: Kala (काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; adverbial

• एव: certainly
• एव: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphasis

• कालेन: in time
• कालेन: Kala (काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हतप्रभा: with its splendor destroyed
• हतप्रभा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः बहुव्रीहि (हता प्रभा यस्याः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective of लङ्का

Context

"Inauspicious signs are seen here in Lanka. In a short time this city will lose its splendour.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā

FAQs

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

When a society departs from dharma, nature and circumstance reflect disorder through ominous signs; loss of splendor follows moral decay.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā notes ominous portents in Laṅkā and predicts the city’s imminent decline.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya-niṣṭhā (commitment to truth): Sītā states what she perceives and what she knows will follow, without fear.