Shloka 21

आरण्यकाण्डे चतुस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Śūrpaṇakhā Reports to Rāvaṇa; Rāma’s Might and Sītā’s Description

Devanagari script

तां तु दृष्ट्वाद्य वैदेहीं पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाम्।मन्मथस्य शराणां वै त्वं विधेयो भविष्यसि।।।।

Transliteration

tāṁ tu dṛṣṭvādya vaidehīṁ pūrṇacandranibhānanām |

manmathasya śarāṇāṁ vai tvaṁ vidheyo bhaviṣyasi ||

Translation

ഇന്ന് നീ വൈദേഹിയെ കണ്ടാൽ—പൂർണ്ണചന്ദ്രനെപ്പോലെയുള്ള മുഖമുള്ളവളെ—നിശ്ചയമായും നീ മന്മഥന്റെ അമ്പുകളുടെ അധീനനാകും.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: nipāta (particle)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: ktvā-anta (absolutive/क्त्वा), ‘having seen’

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: kāla-avyaya (time adverb)

• वैदेहीम्: Vaidehi (Sita)
• वैदेहीम्: Karma (कर्म) (apposition to ताम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidehī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; proper noun (Sītā)

• पूर्ण-चन्द्र-निभ-आननाम्: with a face like the full moon
• पूर्ण-चन्द्र-निभ-आननाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + candra (प्रातिपदिक) + nibha (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; descriptive compound ‘face like the full moon’; viśeṣaṇa of वैदेहीम्

• मन्मथस्य: of Cupid
• मन्मथस्य: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manmatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• शराणाम्: of arrows
• शराणाम्: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana (plural); genitive of relation with विधेयः

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: niścaya-nipāta (emphatic particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā, Ekavacana

• विधेयः: submissive/subject (victim)
• विधेयः: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa / Predicative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidheya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective with भविष्यसि

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू) (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्/periphrastic future), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

Context

If you see her today, this lady with a face like the fullmoon, you will (instantaneously) fall a victim to the arrows of the god of love.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Manmatha (Kāma/Cupid)
• Full moon (pūrṇacandra)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the force of desire and the dharmic need for restraint; yielding to kāma makes one ‘subject’ to impulses rather than to conscience and right conduct.

What is the narrative situation?

Śūrpaṇakhā predicts that merely seeing Sītā will inflame Rāvaṇa with love-lust, pushing him toward pursuit.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is self-mastery—governing desire rather than being governed by it.