Shloka 6.48.37

सीताविलापः—त्रिजटासान्त्वनं च (Sita’s Lament and Trijata’s Consolation)

Devanagari script

प्रविश्यसीताबहुवृक्षषण्डांतांराक्षसेन्द्रस्यविहारभूमिम् ।सम्प्रेक्ष्यसञ्चिन्त्यचराजपुत्रौपरंविषादंसमुपाजगाम ।।।।

Transliteration

vaidhavyaṃ yānti yair nāryo 'lakṣaṇair bhāgyadurlabhāḥ |

nātmanaṃ tāni paśyāmi paśyantī hatalakṣaṇā ||

Translation

Those inauspicious signs by which unfortunate women fall into widowhood—I do not see them in myself; nor do I deem myself one whose auspicious marks have perished.

Context

Having entered the Rakshasa's pleasure garden which had many trees, Sita gave way to intense sorrow having keenly observed the king's sons.।। ityārṣēvālmīkīyēśrīmadrāmāyaṇēādikāvyēyuddhakāṇḍēaṣṭacatvāriṅśassargaḥ ।।This is the end of the forty eighth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• vaidhavya (widowhood, concept)

FAQs

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

The verse asserts trust in dharmic causality: righteousness should not culminate in unjust ruin. Sita’s reasoning is an ethical protest against the idea that Dharma could end in meaningless suffering.

What is the narrative situation?

Sita counters the fear of becoming widowed by invoking traditional sign-theory, as a way to hold onto hope while captive in Lanka.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Resilience: even in despair, Sita searches for truthful grounds to resist collapse into hopelessness.