Shloka 3.60.8

सीतान्वेषणविलापः (Rama’s Lament and Search for Sita)

Devanagari script

हृता मृता वा नष्टा वा भक्षिता वा भविष्यति।निलीनाप्यथवा भीरुरथवा वनमाश्रिता।।3.60.8।।

Transliteration

hṛtā mṛtā vā naṣṭā vā bhakṣitā vā bhaviṣyati |

nilīnā api athavā bhīrur athavā vanam āśritā || 3.60.8 ||

Translation

“Perhaps the timid one has been abducted, or killed, or destroyed, or even devoured; or else she may be hiding somewhere in fear, or taking shelter in the forest.”

Context

'Timid Sita might have been abducted or dead or crushed or eaten up by demons. Or, she may be hiding for protection in the forest'

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• forest

FAQs

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

Dharma here is the duty to protect and to seek truth: Rāma enumerates possibilities not to indulge fear, but to determine the real situation and act rightly.

What is the narrative situation?

Unable to find Sītā at the hut, Rāma voices alarming possibilities—abduction, death, or hiding—while trying to make sense of her disappearance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Responsibility and urgency—Rāma’s mind races through outcomes because he feels accountable for Sītā’s safety.