Valmiki Ramayana 2.39.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 22

एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः · Dasaratha’s Lament, Sumantra’s Commission, and Sita’s Vow of Marital Dharma

Addressed to SitaSetting: Ayodhya (inner apartments)

Devanagari script

असत्यशीला विकृता दुर्ग्राह्यहृदयास्सदा ।

युवत्यः पापसंङ्कल्पाः क्षणमात्राद्विरागिणः ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.39.22

Transliteration

asatyaśīlā vikṛtā durgrāhyahṛdayāḥ sadā |

yuvatyaḥ pāpasaṅkalpāḥ kṣaṇamātrād virāgiṇaḥ ||22||

Translation

悪しき企てを抱く若い女は、行いに真実なく、性は歪み、心は常に測り難く、愛情も刹那にして冷めるという。

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Word by Word

• asatyaśīlāḥ: of untruthful conduct
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asatya + śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Feminine (पुं/स्त्री; here feminine sense), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘asatyaṃ śīlaṃ yeṣām/ yāḥ’ (habit of untruth)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• vikṛtāḥ: perverted/changed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikṛta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from vi√kṛ)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); feminine sense
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• durgrāhya-hṛdayāḥ: hard-to-read-hearted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durgrāhya + hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); karmadhāraya: ‘durgrāhyaṃ hṛdayaṃ yāsām’ (whose hearts are hard to grasp)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• sadā: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)

• yuvatyaḥ: young women
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• pāpa-saṅkalpāḥ: evil-intentioned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa + saṅkalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘pāpaḥ saṅkalpaḥ yāsām’ (evil intentions)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• kṣaṇamātrāt: from a mere moment
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘kṣaṇasya mātram’ (mere moment)
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• virāgiṇaḥ: quickly disaffected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virāgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); feminine sense (ending used for common gender)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

Sandhi Notes

• durgrāhya-hṛdayāḥ sadā (दुर्ग्राह्यहृदयास्सदा)
• kṣaṇamātrāt virāgiṇaḥ (क्षणमात्राद्विरागिणः)

Context

Evil-minded young ladies are infidels. They are of perverted nature. They are inscrutable. In an instant they lose their love (for their husbands).

The teaching

In crisis, do not let transient emotions govern conduct; steadiness and restraint protect dharma.

Duties in tension

• Sītā’s personal emotion/attachment vs. steadfast pativratā-dharma
• Household stability vs. fear of social instability during exile crisis

Ethical theme

Gṛhastha-dharma / strī-dharma (as framed by the speaker)

How it resolves

Didactic admonition toward steadfastness

For your practice

Cultivates vairāgya toward fluctuating emotions and strengthens resolve in dharmic commitments.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Anxious, warning, bitter

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Didactic counsel
• Self-restraint

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā

FAQs

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

It frames Dharma as reliability and truthfulness in relationships; the implied lesson is to reject impulsive, self-serving shifts of affection and instead cultivate steadfast virtue.

What is the narrative situation?

As the household faces the rupture of exile, Sītā is being cautioned through negative exemplars—what conduct should not be imitated.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness (satya) and stability of mind (sthairya) as safeguards against morally erratic behavior.