Shloka 16

सीताविलापः—त्रिजटासान्त्वनं च

Sita’s Lament and Trijata’s Consolation

Devanagari script

ननुवारुणमाग्नेयमैन्द्रंवायव्यमेवच ।अस्त्रंब्रह्मशिरश्चैवप्रत्यपद्यताम् ।।।।

Transliteration

nanu vāruṇam āgneyam aindraṁ vāyavyam eva ca | astraṁ brahmaśiraś caiva pratyapadyatām ||

Translation

Gewiss wussten die beiden Rāghavas die Waffe Varuṇas, die Waffe Agnis, die Waffe Indras und auch die Waffe Vāyus zu führen — ja, sogar die Brahmaśiras-Waffe. Warum haben sie sie dann nicht abgewehrt?

Word by Word

• nanu: why indeed?/surely
• nanu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nanu (अव्यय)
• Form: Praśna/āś्चर्य-avyaya (प्रश्न/आश्चर्य) particle

• vāruṇam: Varuṇa-weapon
• vāruṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; (astra) implied

• āgneyam: Agni-weapon
• āgneyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; (astra) implied

• aindram: Indra-weapon
• aindram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aindra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; (astra) implied

• vāyavyam: Vāyu-weapon
• vāyavyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; (astra) implied

• eva: indeed/even
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa particle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya conjunction

• astram: weapon
• astram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• brahma-śiraḥ: Brahmaśiras (weapon)
• brahma-śiraḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: brahmaṇaḥ śiraḥ (Brahmā's Head weapon)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya conjunction

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa particle

• pratyapadyatām: (you two) should resort to/use
• pratyapadyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√pad (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd/मध्यमपुरुष), Dvivacana (द्विवचन); Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

Context

"Raghavas knew to use Varuna's weapons, fire god's weapons, Indra's also, even wind god's and Brahma's weapons. Why have they not used?"

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Varuṇa
• Agni
• Indra
• Vāyu

FAQs

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

The verse implicitly contrasts righteous strength with helplessness under deception: even great capability can appear defeated when adharma (unfair concealment and trickery) distorts the visible outcome.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā, hearing or imagining news that Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa have been struck down, wonders why they did not respond with their known divine weapons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa’s martial mastery (śaurya and astravidyā) is emphasized—Sītā’s grief arises precisely because she knows their competence.