Shloka 5.28.8

सीताविलापः (Sita’s Lament and Resolve under Threat)

Devanagari script

हा राम हा लक्ष्मण हा सुमित्रे

हा राममातः सह मे जनन्या।

एषा विपद्याम्यहमल्पभाग्या

महार्णवे नौरिव मूढवाता।।5.28.8।।

Transliteration

hā rāma hā lakṣmaṇa hā sumitre hā rāmamātaḥ saha me jananyā | eṣā vipadyāmy aham alpabhāgyā mahārṇave naur iva mūḍhavātā ||5.28.8||

Translation

Alas, Rāma! Alas, Lakṣmaṇa! Alas, Sumitrā! Alas, Rāma’s mother—together with my own mother! Here I, ill-fated, am perishing like a little boat in the great ocean, struck by a whirling wind.

Context

"Alas! Rama, Alas! Lakshmana, Alas! Sumitra, Alas! my mother, Alas! Rama's mother, I am an ill-starred woman going to perish in this way like a light boat capsized in the midst of an ocean when the whirl-wind blows.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sumitrā
• Kauśalyā (Rāma’s mother)
• Sītā’s mother (not named here)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes steadfast bonds of family and duty: Sītā’s cry shows loyalty and truthful remembrance, even when isolated and threatened.

What is the narrative situation?

In captivity, Sītā laments and calls out to Rāma and her family, feeling herself overwhelmed like a boat in a stormy ocean.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Devotion (bhakti-like fidelity) and emotional honesty joined to unwavering commitment.