Shloka 1

सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः

Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तातुवैदेहिपरुषंरोमहर्षणम् ।राघवेणसरोषेणश्रुत्वाप्रव्यथिताऽभवत् ।।।।

Transliteration

evam uktā tu vaidehī paruṣaṁ roma-harṣaṇam |

rāghaveṇa sa-roṣeṇa śrutvā pravyathitā ’bhavat ||6.119.1||

Translation

So angesprochen, wurde Vaidehī, als sie Rāghavas harte, schaudererregende Worte hörte—Worte, die das Haar vor Entsetzen sträuben—tief erschüttert, denn er sprach im Zorn.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), manner adverb

• uktā: spoken to
• uktā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta (क्त) PPP; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies vaidehī

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (निपात)

• vaidehī: Vaidehī (Sītā)
• vaidehī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidehī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन)

• paruṣam: harsh
• paruṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies romaharṣaṇam / (speech implied)

• romaharṣaṇam: hair-raising, horripilating
• romaharṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: roma (प्रातिपदिक) + harṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन)

• rāghaveṇa: by Rāghava (Rāma)
• rāghaveṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental/Tṛtīyā (3), Singular (एकवचन)

• saroṣeṇa: in anger
• saroṣeṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक) + roṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental/Tṛtīyā (3), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies rāghaveṇa

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Ktvā (क्त्वा) gerund; avyaya-kṛdanta

• pravyathitā: distressed, shaken
• pravyathitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-vi-√vyath (धातु) + pravyathita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta (क्त) PPP; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies vaidehī

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect/Laṅ (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Context

Vaidehi heard the harsh horripilating words spoken by Rama in anger and was very much afflicted.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Rāma (Rāghava)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes vāg-dharma (righteous speech): anger-driven harshness can wound the innocent, so ethical conduct requires restraint and truth spoken with care.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator describes Sītā’s immediate distress after hearing Rāma’s severe, anger-filled statements.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s sensitivity and integrity: her pain underscores her sincerity, while the scene invites reflection on the discipline required of a righteous ruler.