Shloka 16

सीतया लक्ष्मणप्रेषणम् — Sita urges Lakshmana to seek Rama

The crisis of the ‘distressed voice’

Devanagari script

न च तस्य स्वरो व्यक्तं मायया केन चित्कृतः।गन्धर्वनगरप्रख्या माया सा तस्य रक्षसः।।3.45.16।।

Transliteration

na ca tasya svaro vyaktaṁ māyayā kena cit kṛtaḥ | gandharvanagaraprakhyā māyā sā tasya rakṣasaḥ ||3.45.16||

Translation

അത് അവന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ സ്വരം തന്നെയല്ല; ആരോ മായയാൽ നിർമ്മിച്ചതാണ്. അത് ആ രാക്ഷസന്റെ മായ—ഗന്ധർവനഗരംപോലെ, കാണാൻ സത്യംപോലെ തോന്നുമെങ്കിലും അസത്യം.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Pratiṣedha-nipāta (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (6/षष्ठी), Ekavacana

• svaraḥ: voice
• svaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• vyaktam: clear / manifest
• vyaktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vyaj/√vac?; lexical adj.)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; predicate adjective with implied "asti"

• māyayā: by illusion
• māyayā: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (3/तृतीया), Ekavacana

• kena: by someone
• kena: Karta (कर्ता/agent, indefinite)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3/तृतीया), Ekavacana; interrogative/indefinite in context

• cit: some (ever)
• cit: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cit (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta; indefinitive particle with interrogatives (kim/ka)

• kṛtaḥ: made
• kṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Bhūta-kṛdanta (PPP, क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmaṇi-prayoga sense: "made" (agreeing with "svaraḥ")

• gandharva-nagara-prakhyā: like the Gandharva-city
• gandharva-nagara-prakhyā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gandharva + nagara + prakhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa (upamāna-nirdeśa): "renowned/like the city of Gandharvas"; qualifies "māyā"

• māyā: illusion
• māyā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• sā: that
• sā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• rakṣasaḥ: of the demon
• rakṣasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6/षष्ठी), Ekavacana

Context

May your heart be relieved (of this fear) ! Give up this grief. Your husband will soon return with the excellent deer killed.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sītā
• Rāma
• rākṣasa (demon)
• māyā (illusion)

FAQs

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

Discernment aligned with satya: dharma requires distinguishing truth from deception, especially when adharma employs māyā to provoke rash actions.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa interprets the distress-cry as an illusory fabrication by a demon, warning Sītā against being misled.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prudence and clarity—Lakṣmaṇa seeks to prevent a dharmic lapse caused by reacting to deception.