Shloka 24

Dyumatsena’s Restoration and Sāvitrī’s Disclosure of Yama’s Boons (आरण्यकपर्व, अध्याय २८२)

Devanagari script

।। इत्युक्त्वा प्रारूवत्‌ सीता कम्पयन्ती पयोधरौ

Transliteration

ity uktvā prārudat sītā kampayantī payodharau

Translation

Having spoken thus, Sītā broke into tears, her bosom trembling—an image of grief and vulnerability that underscores the moral weight of the moment and the human cost borne by the righteous amid adversity.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti

• uktvā: having said
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac
• Form: ktvā (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage-neutral), non-finite

• prāruvat: she wept / began to cry
• Type: Verb
• Root: ru
• Form: laṅ (imperfect), 3, singular, parasmaipada

• sītā: Sītā
• sītā: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• kampayantī: trembling / causing to tremble
• Type: Verb
• Root: kamp
• Form: śatṛ (present active participle), feminine, nominative, singular

• payodharau: breasts (lit. milk-bearers)
• payodharau: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: payodhara
• Form: masculine, accusative, dual

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sītā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical dimension of suffering: even the virtuous may be driven to tears, and such grief invites compassion rather than judgment, reminding listeners that dharma includes sensitivity to others’ pain.

What is happening in the narrative?

After finishing her statement, Sītā begins to cry, physically trembling—Markaṇḍeya’s narration pauses on her emotional reaction to emphasize the intensity of the situation.