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Shloka 1

रामस्य सुग्रीवप्रति रोषः — हनूमता सीतादर्शनवृत्तान्तः

Rāma’s Reproach of Sugrīva; Hanūmān’s Report of Seeing Sītā

Devanagari script

हि आय न [हुक है पज्चषष्टर्याधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: कोटिकास्यथका द्रौपदीसे जयद्रथ और उसके साथियोंका परिचय देते हुए उसका भी परिचय पूछना कोटिक उवाच का त्वं कदम्बस्थ विनाम्य शाखा- मेका55श्रमे तिषतसि शोभमाना । देदीप्यमानाग्निशिखेव नक्तं व्याधूयमाना पवनेन सुभ्रू:,कोटिक बोला--सुन्दर भौंहोंवाली सुन्दरी! तुम कौन हो? जो कदम्बकी डाली झुकाकर उसके सहारे इस आश्रममें अकेली खड़ी हो, यहाँ तुम्हारी बड़ी शोभा हो रही है। जैसे रातमें वायुसे आन्दोलित अग्निकी ज्वाला देदीप्यमान दिखायी देती है, उसी प्रकार तुम भी इस आश्रममें अपनी प्रभा बिखेर रही हो

Transliteration

Koṭika uvāca—tvaṁ kaḍambastha vināmya śākhām ekāśrame tiṣṭhasi śobhamānā | dedīpyamānāgniśikheva naktaṁ vyādhūyamānā pavanena subhrūḥ ||

Translation

Koṭika said: “O fair-browed lady, who are you? Bending down a branch of the kadamba tree, you stand alone in this hermitage, radiant in beauty. Like a flame of fire shining at night, wavering in the wind, you too seem to cast your brilliance upon this quiet āśrama.”

Word by Word

कःwho

त्वम्you

कदम्बस्थेon/in a kadamba(-tree) (i.e., situated at the kadamba)

विनाम्यhaving bent (down)

शाखाम्branch

एकाकीalone

आश्रमॆin the hermitage

तिष्ठसिyou stand

शोभमानाshining, looking beautiful

दॆदीप्यमानाblazing, radiant

अग्निशिखाflame of fire

इवlike, as

नक्तम्at night

व्याधूयमानाbeing shaken, swayed

पवनेनby the wind

सुभ्रूःO fair-browed one

Speaker

कोटिक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Koṭika

kadamba tree

āśrama (hermitage)

agni (fire)

pavana (wind)

a branch (śākhā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds restraint and propriety in first contact: a stranger is approached through speech and inquiry rather than force. It also uses nature-based simile to frame beauty as something that can illuminate a place, inviting reflection on how appearance and presence affect ethical attention and conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Koṭika addresses an unknown woman standing alone in a hermitage, holding down a kadamba branch. He asks her identity and describes her radiance through a vivid comparison to a night-flame flickering in the wind.