Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 37, Shloka 59

हनूमत्सीतासंवादः

Hanuman’s Offer of Rescue and Sita’s Dharmic Refusal

Devanagari script

तौ निराशौ मदर्थं तु शोकसन्तापकर्शितौ।सह सर्वर्क्षहरिभिस्त्यक्ष्यतः प्राणसङ्ग्रहम्।।।।

Transliteration

tau nirāśau mad-arthaṃ tu śoka-santāpa-karśitau | saha sarvarkṣa-haribhis tyakṣyataḥ prāṇa-saṅgraham ||

Translation

Jene beiden, meinetwegen aller Hoffnung beraubt und von Kummer und Qual verzehrt, würden ihr Leben hingeben—zusammen mit allen Bären und Vānaras.

Word by Word

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Dvivacana (Dual)

• nirāśau: hopeless
• nirāśau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Dvivacana; qualifies tau

• madartham: for my sake
• madartham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva-like usage as adverbial accusative: mad-artham = "for my sake"; (formally accusative singular of artha)

• tu: but
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; contrast particle

• śoka-santāpa-karśitau: emaciated by sorrow and anguish
• śoka-santāpa-karśitau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक) + santāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karśita (कृदन्त; कृश् धातु + क्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa chain: śoka-santāpa (dvandva-like sense but determinative) + karśita; kta-participle; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Dvivacana; qualifies tau

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahārtha (सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; governs instrumental

• sarva-ṛkṣa-haribhiḥ: with all bears and monkeys
• sarva-ṛkṣa-haribhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: sarva + (ṛkṣa-hari) "all bears and monkeys"; Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• tyakṣyataḥ: will abandon
• tyakṣyataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ/Lṛṭ (Simple Future, लृट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Dvivacana (Dual), Parasmaipada

• prāṇa-saṅgraham: their life-breath; life
• prāṇa-saṅgraham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅgraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: prāṇa-saṅgraha; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana

Context

"Both Rama and Lakshmana who are emaciated with sorrow and suffering on account of me will give up their lives along with vanaras and bears.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Vānaras
• Bears (ṛkṣas)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes sustaining hope and life; despair that leads to self-destruction is shown as a catastrophic moral and communal loss.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā warns Hanumān of the emotional and practical collapse that could follow if Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa lose hope of finding her.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s compassion—she is deeply concerned for the suffering of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and their allies.