Valmiki Ramayana 2.39.30: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 30

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

Spoken by Sita to KausalyaSetting: Ayodhya (palace discourse)

Devanagari script

मितं ददाति हि पिता मितं माता मितं सुतः ।

अमितस्य हि दातारं भर्तारं का न पूजयेत् ॥३०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.39.30

Transliteration

mitaṃ dadāti hi pitā mitaṃ mātā mitaṃ sutaḥ |

amitasya hi dātāraṃ bhartāraṃ kā na pūjayet ||30||

Translation

ພໍ່ໃຫ້ຄວາມສຸກໄດ້ແຕ່ພຽງພໍປະມານ; ແມ່ກໍພຽງພໍປະມານ; ລູກກໍພຽງພໍປະມານ. ແຕ່ສາມີນັ້ນຖືກນັບວ່າເປັນຜູ້ໃຫ້ຄວາມສຸກອັນບໍ່ມີຂອບເຂດ—ຍິງຄົນໃດຈະບໍ່ເຄົາລົບບູຊາສາມີເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ

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Word by Word

• mitaṃ: limitedly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √mā ‘measure’)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; used adverbially ‘to a limited extent’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• dadāti: gives
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निश्चय)

• pitā: father
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• mitaṃ: limitedly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √mā)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adverbial
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• mātā: mother
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• mitaṃ: limitedly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √mā)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adverbial
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• sutaḥ: son
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• amitasya: of the unlimited
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (agreeing with implied ‘dānam’/‘pradānam’), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular; ‘of the unlimited’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निश्चय)

• dātāram: giver
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• bhartāram: husband
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; in apposition to dātāram
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• kā: who (woman)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun (किम्), Feminine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle used rhetorically
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)

• pūjayet: would worship/honour
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• sukham edheta (मेधेत)
• kā na pūjayet rhetorical ‘who would not honour?’

Context

While the happiness that the father, mother and son give is limited, a husband gives unlimited happiness. Which wife will not worship such a husband?

The teaching

Honor the principal support of one’s chosen life-order; gratitude should match the magnitude of what is received.

Ethical theme

Gratitude and household duty (gṛhastha/strīdharma)

For your practice

Encourages kṛtajñatā and reverence within relationships; can be used as a reflection verse for household harmony.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Shringara (love)

Mood

Reverent, didactic, value-affirming

Themes

• Dharma
• Strīdharma
• Ethics
• Householder life (gṛhastha)
• Maryādā

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Kauśalyā
• bhartṛ (husband) (concept)
• suta (son) (concept)

FAQs

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

It articulates a normative dharmic hierarchy of relationships in which the husband-wife bond is treated as central to a woman’s life and duty, and therefore worthy of reverence and service.

What is the narrative situation?

Continuing her address to Kauśalyā, Sītā justifies her unwavering attachment to Rāma and her decision to share his hardship by emphasizing the traditional esteem accorded to the husband.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s reverence (pūjā-bhāva) and commitment to marital fidelity are foregrounded as her guiding virtues.