Shloka 23

शुकसारण-चारप्रवेशः

Suka and Sāraṇa’s Espionage and Release

Devanagari script

यद्बलंचसमाश्रित्यसीतांमेहृतवानपि ।तद्दर्शययथाकामंससैन्यस्सहबान्धवः ।।।।

Transliteration

yad balaṃ ca samāśritya sītāṃ me hṛtavān api | tad darśaya yathākāmaṃ sasainyaḥ sahabāndhavaḥ ||

Translation

Qu’il déploie, à son gré, avec son armée et ses proches, la force même sur laquelle il s’appuya lorsqu’il enleva ma Sītā.

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); correlates with tat

• balam: strength
• balam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); in apposition to yat

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction particle (समुच्चय)

• samāśritya: having relied on
• samāśritya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-śri (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from √śri with prefixes sam-ā-; 'having relied on'

• sītām: Sita
• sītām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• me: from me / my
• me: Apādāna/Source (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• hṛtavān: having abducted
• hṛtavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्तवतु/क्तवन्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); 'has taken away/abducted'

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अपि) expressing addition/concession

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); correlative to yat

• darśaya: show
• darśaya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); causative sense 'show' (दर्शय)

• yathā-kāmam: as you wish
• yathā-kāmam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva adverb; 'according to (one's) wish'

• sa-sainyaḥ: with (your) army
• sa-sainyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/स) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); उपपद-तत्पुरुष/सह-समास: 'with army'

• saha-bāndhavaḥ: with (your) relatives
• saha-bāndhavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saha (अव्यय/उपपद) + bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); 'together with kinsmen'

Context

"Let him display the strength on which he has abducted my Sita along with his army and relations at his will."

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa (implied as abductor)
• Army

FAQs

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

Accountability for wrongdoing: power used for adharma (abduction) must face open confrontation and righteous consequence.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma sends a direct challenge to Rāvaṇa, demanding he reveal the strength he trusted when committing the offense against Sītā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s commitment to justice and honor—he frames the conflict as moral reckoning, not mere conquest.