Shloka 23

सीतान्वेषणविलापः

Rama’s Lament and Search for Sita

Devanagari script

अथवा मृगशाबाक्षीं मृग जानासि मैथिलीम्।मृगविप्रेक्षणी कान्ता मृगीभिस्सहिता भवेत्।।3.60.23।।

Transliteration

athavā mṛgaśābākṣīṁ mṛga jānāsi maithilīm | mṛgaviprekṣaṇī kāntā mṛgībhis sahitā bhavet || 3.60.23 ||

Translation

おお鹿よ、子鹿のような眼をもつマイティリーを知っているか。若鹿のまなざしを宿すわが愛しき人は、雌鹿の群れの中にいるのかもしれぬ。

Word by Word

• गज: O elephant
• गज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गजनासोरूः: she whose thighs are like an elephant's trunk
• गजनासोरूः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज-नास-ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (गजनासावत् ऊरू यस्याः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सा)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त)

• दृष्टा: seen
• दृष्टा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त; PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सा) इति विशेष्य

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भवेत्: might be
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विदिताम्: known/recognized
• विदिताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त; PPP from √विद्/√ज्ञा sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ताम्)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आख्याहि: tell/declare
• आख्याहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वरवारण: O best of elephants
• वरवारण: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-वारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (वरः वारणः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

Or, O deer! do you know about Maithili who has the eyes of a fawn? My beloved who has the restless eyes of a doe may be found in their company.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Maithilī (Sītā)

FAQs

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

Dharma is the truthful quest for the lost and the refusal to accept injustice silently—Rāma seeks any honest witness, even among animals, to restore what is rightfully his.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma continues searching for Sītā, addressing a deer directly and imagining she might be hidden among the herd.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Tenderness joined with resolve: his speech is gentle, yet his purpose is unwavering.