Valmiki Ramayana 2.61.4 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 61, Shloka 4

कौसल्याविलापः

Kausalya’s Lament and Ethical Analogies on Kingship

Devanagari script

सा नूनं तरुणी श्यामा सुकुमारी सुखोचिता।कथमुष्णं च शीतं च मैथिली प्रसहिष्यते।।2.61.4।।

Transliteration

sā nūnaṃ taruṇī śyāmā sukumārī sukhocitā | katham uṣṇaṃ ca śītaṃ ca maithilī prasahiṣyate || 2.61.4 ||

Translation

まことに彼女は若く、艶やかな黒みを帯び、かよわく、安楽に慣れた身。マイティリーはどうして暑さと寒さの両方に耐えられようか。

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (certainly)

• taruṇī: young
• taruṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: taruṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; sā/maithilī-विशेषण

• śyāmā: dark-complexioned, lovely
• śyāmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śyāmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘dark/beautiful’

• sukumārī: delicate
• sukumārī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukumārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sukha-ucitā: accustomed to comfort
• sukha-ucitā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + ucita (कृदन्त, √uc/उच्; PPP)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (accustomed to comfort), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• katham: how
• katham: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• uṣṇam: heat
• uṣṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• śītam: cold
• śītam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• maithilī: Maithili (Sita)
• maithilī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maithilī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prasahiṣyate: will bear
• prasahiṣyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sah (धातु) with pra-
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Context

How can the daughter of Mithila (Sita) who in the prime of her life, accustomed to comforts, endure heat and cold indeed?

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Maithilī)
• Mithilā
• Forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Dharma must be tempered by compassion: Kausalyā points to the foreseeable hardship imposed on Sītā, implying that righteous governance should avoid causing undue suffering to the blameless.

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalyā laments Sītā’s impending hardships in exile, focusing on the extremes of climate in forest life.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s fortitude is implicitly invoked—she will be required to endure conditions far beyond her sheltered upbringing.