Valmiki Ramayana 1.77.29: Bala Kanda, Sarga 77, Shloka 29

सप्तसप्ततितमः सर्गः · Ayodhya Return, Bridal Reception, and Bharata’s Departure

Setting: Ayodhya (implied)

Devanagari script

प्रिया तु सीता रामस्य दाराः पितृकृता इति ।

गुणाद्रूपगुणाच्चापि प्रीतिर्भूयोऽभ्यवर्धत ॥२९॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.77.29

Transliteration

priyā tu sītā rāmasya dārāḥ pitṛkṛtā iti |

guṇād rūpaguṇāc cāpi prītir bhūyo 'bhyavardhata ||29||

Translation

सीता तो पिताजी ने राम के लिए चुनी थी। पर राम को वो दिन के साथ प्यार होता गया। उसके गुण और उसका चेहरा, दोनों ने राम का दिल जीत लिया।

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Word by Word

• priyā: beloved, dear
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (प्रथमा/nom.), Ekavacana (एकवचन); predicative adjective qualifying sītā
• Role: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)

• tu: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात) expressing contrast/emphasis
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)

• sītā: Sita
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Kartā (कर्ता/subject)

• rāmasya: of Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (षष्ठी/gen.), Ekavacana; possessive relation
• Role: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/possessor)

• dārāḥ: wife (lit. spouses)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; used as ‘wife’ (often plural form) in apposition to sītā
• Role: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानाधिकरण/apposition)

• pitṛkṛtāḥ: made/arranged by (his) father
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त) < √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): pitṛ-kṛta ‘made by father’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana agreeing with dārāḥ
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• iti: thus/‘as’
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotative particle (इति-निपात) marking reported notion
• Role: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)

• guṇāt: because of virtue(s)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī vibhakti (पञ्चमी/abl.), Ekavacana; hetu/ कारण sense
• Role: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)

• rūpaguṇāt: because of the virtue of beauty
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष in sense ‘beauty-virtue’); Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī, Ekavacana; ablative of cause
• Role: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Role: Samucchaya-dyotaka (समुच्चय-द्योतक)

• api: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात) meaning ‘also/even’
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)

• prītiḥ: affection, love
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Kartā (कर्ता/subject)

• bhūyaḥ: more, further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) meaning ‘more/further/again’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• abhyavardhata: increased, grew
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ lakāra (लङ्/Imperfect, past), Prathama puruṣa (प्रथम), Ekavacana; parasmaipada; ‘grew/increased’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• rūpaguṇāc cāpi = rūpaguṇāt + ca + api
• bhūyo 'bhyavardhata = bhūyaḥ + abhyavardhata (visarga before vowel becomes ’)

Context

Chosen by his father Sita became Rama's beloved wife with her virtue and beauty his affection for her grew further.

The teaching

Even when a marriage is arranged by elders, affection deepens most through lived recognition of virtue and character.

Ethical theme

Gṛhastha-dharma / sadguṇa

For your practice

Encourages seeing guṇa (inner excellence) as the basis for love—useful for cultivating sattva and reverence in relationships.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shringara (love), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Affection-deepening, admiring, domestic

Themes

• Dharma
• Grihastha-dharma
• Maryada
• Ethics
• Virtue

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Sita
• Dasaratha (implied by pitṛ-)

FAQs

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

Marital dharma is strengthened by recognizing virtue: affection is not merely contractual (arranged marriage) but deepens through appreciation of character.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration describes the growing bond between Rama and Sita after marriage, highlighting why their relationship flourishes.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sita’s guṇa (virtue) is foregrounded as the primary cause of Rama’s increasing love, with beauty as an additional grace.