Shloka 23

सीतान्वेषणविलापः

Rama’s Lament and Search for Sita

Devanagari script

अथवा मृगशाबाक्षीं मृग जानासि मैथिलीम्।मृगविप्रेक्षणी कान्ता मृगीभिस्सहिता भवेत्।।3.60.23।।

Transliteration

athavā mṛgaśābākṣīṁ mṛga jānāsi maithilīm | mṛgaviprekṣaṇī kāntā mṛgībhis sahitā bhavet || 3.60.23 ||

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ, ഹേ മൃഗമേ! മാൻകുട്ടിയെപ്പോലെയുള്ള കണ്ണുകളുള്ള മൈഥിലിയായ വൈദേഹിയെ നീ അറിയുമോ? മാൻകുട്ടിപോലെയുള്ള ദൃഷ്ടിയുള്ള എന്റെ പ്രിയ, ഒരുപക്ഷേ മാൻപെൺകളോടൊപ്പം ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കാം.

Word by Word

गजO elephant

साshe

गजनासोरूःshe whose thighs are like an elephant's trunk

यदिif

दृष्टाseen

त्वयाby you

भवेत्might be

ताम्her

मन्येI think

विदिताम्known/recognized

तुभ्यम्to you

आख्याहिtell/declare

वरवारणO best of elephants

Context

Or, O deer! do you know about Maithili who has the eyes of a fawn? My beloved who has the restless eyes of a doe may be found in their company.

Characters & Entities

Rāma

Maithilī (Sītā)

FAQs

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

Dharma is the truthful quest for the lost and the refusal to accept injustice silently—Rāma seeks any honest witness, even among animals, to restore what is rightfully his.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma continues searching for Sītā, addressing a deer directly and imagining she might be hidden among the herd.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Tenderness joined with resolve: his speech is gentle, yet his purpose is unwavering.