Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सहस्रमेकमेकस्य मम कार्यपुरस्सरम्।।3.55.15।।यदिदं राजतन्त्रं मे त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्।जीवितं च विशालाक्षि त्वं मे प्राणैर्गरीयसी।।3.55.16।।

Transliteration

bahūnāṃ strīsahasrāṇāṃ mama yo 'sau parigrahaḥ |

tāsāṃ tvam īśvarā sīte mama bhāryā bhava priye ||3.55.17||

Translation

«Parmi les nombreux milliers de femmes qui sont mon harem, toi, ô Sītā, sois leur souveraine ; bien-aimée, deviens mon épouse.»

Word by Word

• bahūnām: of many
• bahūnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग); viśeṣaṇa to strī-sahasrāṇām

• strī-sahasrāṇām: of thousands of women
• strī-sahasrāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन), Napuṃsaka (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग); samāsa: strīṇāṃ sahasrāṇi = 'thousands of women'

• mama: my/of me
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठī), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• yaḥ: which/that (who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग); relative pronoun referring to parigrahaḥ

• asau: this/that (here)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग); demonstrative

• parigrahaḥ: marital possession/consort-group
• parigrahaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग)

• tāsām: of them
• tāsām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठī), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• īśvarā: mistress/queen
• īśvarā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग); predicate noun to tvam

• sīte: O Sītā
• sīte: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठī), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग); predicate complement (to be) with bhava

• bhava: become
• bhava: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (Imperative/लोट्), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); Parasmaipada

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग)

Context

For me alone there are a thousand attendants.The administration of the kingdom and all my subjects will be under your control. O largeeyed Sita you are dearer to me than my life.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Dharma upholds marital fidelity and consent; proposing ‘marriage’ after kidnapping is a violation of both satya (truthfulness) and maryādā (moral boundaries).

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa explicitly asks Sītā to accept him as husband and reign as chief queen over his existing wives.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s chastity and loyalty to Rāma (pativratā-dharma) are the central virtues challenged by this proposal.