Shloka 21

दनु-शापकथा तथा सीताहरण-प्रश्नः

Danu’s Curse Narrative and Rama’s Inquiry about Sita

Devanagari script

रावणेन हृता भार्या मम सीता यशस्स्विनी।।3.71.21।।निष्क्रान्तस्य जनस्थानात्सहभ्रात्रा यथासुखम्।

Transliteration

rāvaṇena hṛtā bhāryā mama sītā yaśasvinī | niṣkrāntasya janasthānāt saha bhrātrā yathāsukham ||

Translation

ജനസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് സഹോദരനോടുകൂടെ നിർഭയസുഖത്തിൽ പുറപ്പെട്ടിരുന്ന വേളയിൽ, രാവണൻ എന്റെ യശസ്വിനിയായ ഭാര്യ സീതയെ അപഹരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• rāvaṇena: by Ravana
• rāvaṇena: Karta/Agent-in-passive (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental 3rd (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• hṛtā: carried off; abducted
• hṛtā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive 6th (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• sītā: Sita
• sītā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to bhāryā

• yaśasvinī: famed; glorious
• yaśasvinī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśasvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• niṣkrāntasya: of (me) having gone out
• niṣkrāntasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis-kram (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्तवत्/क्त) in genitive construction; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive 6th (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• janasthānāt: from Janasthana
• janasthānāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janasthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative 5th (पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• saha-bhrātrā: together with (my) brother
• saha-bhrātrā: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय) + bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound functioning adverbially; overall indeclinable; internal noun bhrātṛ in instrumental singular sense

• yathā-sukham: at ease; happily
• yathā-sukham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva; adverb of manner

Context

My illlustrious wife Sita was carried away by Ravana comfortably when I was away from Janasthana along with my brother.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Sita
• Ravana
• Janasthana
• Lakshmana

FAQs

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

Rāma states the truth of his loss plainly—satya in speech—establishing the moral urgency to restore justice after an unrighteous abduction.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma informs Danu that Sītā has been abducted by Rāvaṇa during the time Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa had gone out from Jana-sthāna.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness and composure in grief: Rāma presents facts without distortion, seeking rightful means to recover Sītā.