Shloka 4.1.48

पम्पा-तीर-वर्णनम् / Rama’s Lament at Pampa and the Approach to Rishyamuka

Devanagari script

अथवा वर्तते तत्र वसन्तो यत्र मे प्रिया।किं करिष्यति सुश्रोणी सा तु निर्भर्त्सिता परैः।।।।

Transliteration

athavā vartate tatra vasanto yatra me priyā | kiṃ kariṣyati suśroṇī sā tu nirbhartsitā paraiḥ ||

Translation

Or perhaps spring is present there where my beloved is—yet what can that fair-hipped lady do, when she is threatened and harassed by enemies?

Context

'Or, if there is spring where my beloved lives, what can that lady of beautiful hips do, threatened by enemies.

Characters & Entities

• Sita
• Lakshmana
• enemies (Rakshasas implied)
• spring

FAQs

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

Dharma demands resistance to tyranny: beauty and seasonal joy are irrelevant where coercion rules; the righteous must relieve those oppressed.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama considers an alternative: even if spring exists in Lanka (or wherever she is held), Sita cannot enjoy it due to enemy intimidation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral urgency—Rama’s concern focuses on Sita’s safety and dignity, not aesthetic pleasure.