Shloka 28

सीताविलापः

Sītā’s Lament over the Illusory Head and Bow

Devanagari script

ममहेतोरनार्यायाह्यनर्हःपार्थिवात्म: ।रामस्सागरमुततीर्यसत्त्ववान् गोष्पदेहतः ।।6.32.28।।

Transliteration

mama hetor anāryāyāḥ hy anarhaḥ pārthivātmajaḥ |

rāmaḥ sāgaram utatīrya sattvavān goṣpade hataḥ ||6.32.28||

Translation

ನನ್ನ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ—ಅನಾರ್ಯೆ, ಅನರ್ಹಳಾದ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ—ಅಂತಹ ಅಂತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಅರ್ಹನಲ್ಲದ ರಾಜಪುತ್ರನಾದ ಸತ್ತ್ವವಂತ ರಾಮನು ಸಾಗರ ದಾಟಿ ಬಂದು, ಗೋಮುದ್ರೆಯಷ್ಟು ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿ ಹತನಾದನು.

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 1st person pronoun, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (genitive, 6th case), Ekavacana

• हेतोः: for the sake (of)
• हेतोः: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (genitive), Ekavacana; idiomatically 'for the sake of'

• अनार्यायाः: of an ignoble (woman)
• अनार्यायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-āryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (genitive), Ekavacana; qualifying implied 'striyāḥ' / speaker (Sita)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa/hetu-nipāta (emphatic particle: indeed/for)

• अनर्हः: undeserving
• अनर्हः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधान-विशेषण/predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (nominative), Ekavacana; predicate adjective of 'rāmaḥ'

• पार्थिवात्मजः: son of a king
• पार्थिवात्मजः: Karta (कर्ता/subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: pārthivasya ātmajaḥ; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to 'rāmaḥ'

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• सागरम्: the ocean
• सागरम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (accusative), Ekavacana; object of motion with 'utatīrya'

• उततीर्य: having crossed
• उततीर्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ut + tṝ (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्/gerund), avyaya; 'having crossed over'

• सत्त्ववान्: valiant / possessing strength
• सत्त्ववान्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sattva-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifying 'rāmaḥ'

• गोष्पदे: in a cow’s footprint (i.e., as if in a small puddle)
• गोष्पदे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative circumstance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: goṣpada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (locative, 7th case), Ekavacana; idiom: 'in a cow’s footprint' = in a trivial matter

• हतः: slain
• हतः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: han (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate of 'rāmaḥ'

Context

"On account of an undeserving one, Rama, the son of the emperor, a valiant one who does not deserve to be killed, after having crossed the ocean is killed by a footprint of a cow(easily)."

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Ocean (Sāgara)

FAQs

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

The verse dramatizes moral responsibility and self-accountability: Sītā, even though not at fault, internalizes blame, showing how dharma-minded persons scrutinize their own role before accusing others.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā believes Rāma has died after accomplishing the immense feat of crossing the ocean; she laments the disproportion between his heroic effort and the ‘easy’ manner of death implied by the deception.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s heroism (sattva) and worthiness, contrasted with Sītā’s grief-driven humility and self-blame.