Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 28, Shloka 11

सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः

Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile

Devanagari script

सुप्यते पर्णशय्यासु स्वयं भग्नासु भूतले।रात्रिषु श्रमखिन्नेन तस्माद्दुःखतरं वनम्।।2.28.11।।

Transliteration

supyate parṇaśayyāsu svayaṁ bhagnāsu bhūtale | rātriṣu śramakhinnena tasmād duḥkhataraṁ vanam ||

Translation

夜には労苦に疲れ果て、裸の地に、自ずと落ちた葉を敷いた寝床で眠らねばならない。ゆえに森はさらに苦しい。

Word by Word

• सुप्यते: one sleeps / must sleep
• सुप्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः: “one sleeps / sleep is done”

• पर्णशय्यासु: on leaf-beds
• पर्णशय्यासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण-शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (Loc./अधिकरण), बहुवचन (pl.); “on beds of leaves”

• स्वयम्: by oneself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner adverb “by oneself/of itself”

• भग्नासु: broken/fallen
• भग्नासु: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (Loc.), बहुवचन (pl.); ‘पर्णशय्यासु’ विशेषणम्; ‘भग्न’ = भञ्ज् (धातु) क्त (broken/fallen)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (Loc./अधिकरण), एकवचन (sg.)

• रात्रिषु: at nights
• रात्रिषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (Loc.), बहुवचन (pl.)

• श्रमखिन्नेन: by one exhausted from toil
• श्रमखिन्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम-खिन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (m.)/नपुंसक (n.) तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.); ‘खिन्न’ (weary) qualified by ‘श्रम’ (exertion); agent-instrument in passive sense

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकस्य पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं निपातवत् (ablatival adverb): “therefore/from that”

• दुःखतरम्: more painful
• दुःखतरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.); comparative; ‘वनम्’ विशेषणम्

• वनम्: forest (life)
• वनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.)

Context

Exhausted with struggles one has to sleep at night on a bed of leaves fallen on their own on the ground. Therefore, forest life is extremely painful.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• vana (forest)

FAQs

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

Dharma is not romanticized: Rāma highlights austerity as a real discipline, warning that choosing the righteous path often entails bodily hardship.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma continues listing concrete discomforts of exile to test or temper Sītā’s resolve.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness and protective concern—Rāma speaks plainly about suffering.