Shloka 4

Sāvitrī-Upākhyāna: Dyumatsena’s Restoration and the Return to Kāmyaka

Conclusion

Devanagari script

प्रभाते लक्ष्मणं वीरमभ्यभाषत दुर्मना: । सीतां संस्मृत्य धर्मात्मा रुद्धां राक्षसवेश्मनि,धर्मात्मा श्रीरामको प्रातःकाल राक्षसके भवनमें कैद हुई अपनी पत्नी सीताका स्मरण हो आया और वे खिन्नचित्त होकर वीरवर लक्ष्मणसे इस प्रकार बोले--

Transliteration

prabhāte lakṣmaṇaṃ vīram abhyabhāṣata durmanāḥ | sītāṃ saṃsmṛtya dharmātmā ruddhāṃ rākṣasaveśmani ||

Translation

ಬೆಳಗಿನ ಹೊತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಧರ್ಮಾತ್ಮ (ರಾಮ) ದುಃಖಿತಮನಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ವೀರ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಣನನ್ನು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದನು; ರಾಕ್ಷಸನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂಧಿತಳಾದ ಸೀತೆಯನ್ನು ಸ್ಮರಿಸಿ ಅವನ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಭಾರವಾಯಿತು.

Word by Word

प्रभातेat dawn / in the morning

लक्ष्मणम्Lakshmana (as object addressed/spoken to)

वीरम्the heroic (one)

अभ्यभाषतspoke to / addressed

दुर्मनाःdowncast, sad-minded

सीताम्Sita

संस्मृत्यhaving remembered

धर्मात्माthe righteous-souled one

रुद्धाम्confined, imprisoned

राक्षसवेश्मनिin the demon's house/palace

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Lakṣmaṇa

Sītā

Śrī Rāma

rākṣasa (as captor/inhabitant of the dwelling)

rākṣasa-veśman (rākṣasa dwelling)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when overwhelmed by personal sorrow, the dharmic person does not abandon righteousness; grief is acknowledged, yet action and speech remain guided by duty, loyalty, and moral restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

At dawn, Rāma—remembering Sītā’s captivity in a rākṣasa dwelling—becomes sorrowful and turns to Lakṣmaṇa, addressing him as he prepares to respond to the crisis.